Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) vs Ball State

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and Ball State University (BSU) stand out as two prominent institutions of higher learning, each offering unique educational experiences. MTSU, located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to BSU's 73%, making it a more accessible option for prospective students. BSU, situated in Muncie, Indiana, excels in student retention and graduation rates, with 82% of its students persisting to their second year and 68% completing their degrees within six years, compared to MTSU's 73% and 59%, respectively. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, MTSU is renowned for its strong programs in Business, Education, and Engineering, while BSU shines in the fields of Architecture, Business, and Communication. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Ball State University	Middle Tennessee State University
Overview
Location	Muncie, Indiana	Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.2%	68.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1010 - 1210	1010 - 1210
ACT range	20 - 27	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	42.0%	7.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	92.0%
Total number of applicants	22,947	11,244
Total number of admissions given out	15,642	7,691
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,278	2,752
Yield rate	21.0%	35.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,254 Out of state: $42,488	In state: $24,554 Out of state: $43,586
Average net price	$12,968	$12,617
Tuition	In state: $9,628 Out of state: $26,862	In state: $7,344 Out of state: $26,376
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,862 Meal plan: $6,282	$9,576
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	86.0% Average amount $11,442	97.0% Average amount $8,747
Students receiving federal student loan	88.0% Average amount $5,451	36.0% Average amount $4,835
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $13,381	3.0% Average amount $12,638

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,898 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	18,603 Men 45.2% Women 54.8%
Graduate students	5,421 Men 23.0% Women 77.0%	2,965 Men 36.1% Women 63.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	9.4%	N/A
International students	1.4%	2.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	7,531	2,518
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Indiana Illinois Ohio Michigan Florida	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Psychology	Business Visual & Performing Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.0%	53.7%
Dropout rate	11.4%	14.7%
Transferred out	20.1%	28.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,451 Year 2: $92,124 Year 3: $94,146 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,551 Year 2: $75,989 Year 3: $81,236 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,545 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $77,057 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,885 Year 2: $65,610 Year 3: $75,003 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,368 Year 2: $53,108 Year 3: $65,967 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,067 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $64,046 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,195 Year 2: $54,296 Year 3: $63,441 Business/Commerce, General (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $62,410 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,157 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $60,714 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,299 Year 2: $52,357 Year 3: $59,898	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,408 Year 2: $85,760 Year 3: $90,571 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,120 Year 2: $59,485 Year 3: $88,221 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,903 Year 2: $66,104 Year 3: $78,609 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,709 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $72,118 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,220 Year 2: $66,541 Year 3: $69,654 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,896 Year 2: $57,860 Year 3: $67,093 Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,963 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $66,752 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,662 Year 2: $54,192 Year 3: $66,144 Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,628 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $61,839 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,209 Year 2: $55,061 Year 3: $58,677

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