Sam Houston State University (SHSU) vs Ball State

Sam Houston State University and Ball State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Sam Houston State, located in Huntsville, Texas, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Ball State, situated in Muncie, Indiana, excels in student satisfaction, ensuring a fulfilling campus life. While Sam Houston State emphasizes programs in criminal justice and nursing, Ball State shines in business and communication studies. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional academic offerings, to determine which university aligns best with your aspirations and goals.

	Ball State University	Sam Houston State University
Overview
Location	Muncie, Indiana	Huntsville, Texas
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
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%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.2%	96.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1010 - 1210	950 - 1120
ACT range	20 - 27	18 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	42.0%	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	16.0%
Total number of applicants	22,947	11,556
Total number of admissions given out	15,642	11,161
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,278	2,908
Yield rate	21.0%	26.1%
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: $24,612 Out of state: $34,404
Average net price	$12,968	$14,287
Tuition	In state: $9,628 Out of state: $26,862	In state: $5,856 Out of state: $15,648
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,862 Meal plan: $6,282	Room/dormitory: $5,918 Meal plan: $4,650
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	86.0% Average amount $11,442	70.0% Average amount $9,492
Students receiving federal student loan	88.0% Average amount $5,451	52.0% Average amount $5,618
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $13,381	0.0% Average amount $14,496

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,898 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	18,288 Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Graduate students	5,421 Men 23.0% Women 77.0%	3,324 Men 31.7% Women 68.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	9.4%	1.4%
International students	1.4%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	7,531	3,398
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	Texas Florida California Arkansas Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Psychology	Business Education Health Professions Agriculture Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	20:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.0%	57.3%
Dropout rate	11.4%	16.2%
Transferred out	20.1%	23.6%
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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,554 Year 2: $68,858 Year 3: $76,776 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $68,691 Year 2: $74,953 Year 3: $76,058 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,097 Year 2: $69,740 Year 3: $73,214 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,694 Year 2: $66,049 Year 3: $72,403 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,377 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $67,947 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,438 Year 2: $60,128 Year 3: $67,313 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,381 Year 2: $57,705 Year 3: $65,080 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,710 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $62,801 Agricultural Mechanization (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,352 Year 2: $49,436 Year 3: $59,631 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,213 Year 2: $56,579 Year 3: $57,976

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