Ball State vs Northern Arizona University (NAU)

Ball State University and Northern Arizona University, both public institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Ball State, located in Muncie, Indiana, boasts a higher acceptance rate (84%) compared to Northern Arizona University's (78%) in Flagstaff, Arizona. While Ball State excels in fields like business, education, and nursing, Northern Arizona University shines in programs such as forestry, engineering, and sustainability. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Ball State University logo

Ball State University

Northern Arizona University logo

Northern Arizona University

Overview

Location Muncie, Indiana Flagstaff, Arizona
Campus setting City: Small City: Small
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% 74.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 68.2% 78.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1010 - 1210 N/A
ACT range 20 - 27 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 42.0%
Students submitting ACT score 13.0%
Total number of applicants 22,947 42,872
Total number of admissions given out 15,642 33,592
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,278 5,297
Yield rate 21.0% 15.8%
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 Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $25,254

Out of state: $42,488
In state: $28,430

Out of state: $43,176
Average net price $12,968 $16,059
Tuition
In state: $9,628

Out of state: $26,862
In state: $10,650

Out of state: $25,396
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,862

Meal plan: $6,282
Room/dormitory: $6,000

Meal plan: $5,338
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
97.0%
Average amount $12,922
Students receiving federal student loan 88.0%
Average amount $5,451
34.0%
Average amount $5,314
Students taking out private loans 11.0%
Average amount $13,381
4.0%
Average amount $13,306

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 14,898
Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
24,162
Men 37.0% Women 63.0%
Graduate students 5,421
Men 23.0% Women 77.0%
4,549
Men 32.1% Women 67.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 9.4% 31.9%
International students 1.4% 2.2%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 7,531 9,853
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 Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Liberal Arts
  • Psychology
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 21:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 68.0% 59.0%
Dropout rate 11.4% 40.0%
Transferred out 20.1% N/A
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
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,560
  • Year 2: $101,406
  • Year 3: $108,112
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,716
  • Year 2: $92,632
  • Year 3: $96,135
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,374
  • Year 2: $79,081
  • Year 3: $89,768
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,244
  • Year 2: $76,117
  • Year 3: $81,532
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,225
  • Year 2: $74,890
  • Year 3: $79,106
Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,718
  • Year 2: $68,219
  • Year 3: $75,432
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,725
  • Year 2: $71,183
  • Year 3: $71,928
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,840
  • Year 2: $59,350
  • Year 3: $70,793
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,911
  • Year 2: $65,042
  • Year 3: $70,433
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,712
  • Year 2: $54,252
  • Year 3: $68,199

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