Old Dominion University (ODU) vs Ball State

Old Dominion University and Ball State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Old Dominion University, located in Norfolk, Virginia, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on research and innovation. Ball State University, situated in Muncie, Indiana, is renowned for its acclaimed programs in the arts, business, and education. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Ball State University	Old Dominion University
Overview
Location	Muncie, Indiana	Norfolk, Virginia
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%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.2%	96.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1010 - 1210	1020 - 1220
ACT range	20 - 27	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	42.0%	83.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	22,947	13,586
Total number of admissions given out	15,642	13,074
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,278	2,899
Yield rate	21.0%	22.2%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,254 Out of state: $42,488	In state: $28,088 Out of state: $48,248
Average net price	$12,968	$17,254
Tuition	In state: $9,628 Out of state: $26,862	In state: $7,029 Out of state: $26,664
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,862 Meal plan: $6,282	Room/dormitory: $7,690 Meal plan: $5,398
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	86.0% Average amount $11,442	91.0% Average amount $7,702
Students receiving federal student loan	88.0% Average amount $5,451	57.0% Average amount $5,222
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $13,381	7.0% Average amount $15,206

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,898 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	18,678 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	5,421 Men 23.0% Women 77.0%	4,816 Men 39.4% Women 60.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	9.4%	10.2%
International students	1.4%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	7,531	4,361
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	Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania North Carolina New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Psychology	Health Professions Education Engineering Computer and Information Science 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%	48.7%
Dropout rate	11.4%	19.7%
Transferred out	20.1%	28.2%
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	Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,047 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $104,107 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,948 Year 2: $95,295 Year 3: $103,379 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,161 Year 2: $78,719 Year 3: $83,937 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,137 Year 2: $72,231 Year 3: $83,852 Education, Other (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $74,043 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $77,597 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,315 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $75,302 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,709 Year 2: $66,126 Year 3: $74,887 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,357 Year 2: $71,114 Year 3: $74,858 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,112 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $73,924 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,804 Year 2: $62,654 Year 3: $72,559

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