Indiana University
Bloomington, IN
80%
Acceptance Rate
$11,564
Avg Cost (In-State)
$39,184
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
79%
Graduation Rate
47,005
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
February 1
Early Deadline
November 1 (Early Action)
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
0
Application Fee
$65
Interview
Not required
Essays: One required essay (200-400 words) from prompts provided by IU
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$41,047
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$48,387
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
42%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
What current students say
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Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Indiana 21st Century Scholars
~$40k valueIndiana pays full tuition at IN public universities for low/moderate-income kids who enroll in middle school and stay on track through HS.
Who it helps: Indiana 7th-9th graders from low/moderate-income families. Must enroll before high school starts.
How to use: Enroll at scholars.in.gov by 8th grade. Complete the 12 required activities through HS. File FAFSA junior year of HS.
Source ↗Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Indiana State Honors Scholarship
$3,000-$10,000/year
universityTop ISU incoming freshmen via tiered automatic grid.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Ball State Presidential Scholarship
Full in-state tuition
universityTop BSU freshmen with 3.5+ GPA + 1300+ SAT. Automatic.
Deadline: November 1
Learn more ↗IU Bloomington Direct Admit Scholarship (Kelley)
$2,000-$22,000/year
universityDirect admits to Kelley School of Business with 3.7+ GPA + 1350 SAT/30 ACT.
Deadline: November 1
Learn more ↗Indiana Music Education Association (IMEA) Scholarship
$500-$2,000
stateIndiana HS senior pursuing music education at IN college.
Deadline: Spring
Learn more ↗Frank O'Bannon Grant
Up to ~$11,000/year (publics); $14,000+ (privates)
stateIN residents with financial need attending IN colleges full-time. Largest IN need-based grant.
Deadline: FAFSA by April 15
Learn more ↗Indiana Workforce Ready Grant
Tuition + fees up to 2 years
stateIN adults pursuing high-demand certificates at Ivy Tech or Vincennes University.
Deadline: Rolling
Learn more ↗Purdue Stamps Scholars Program
Full cost of attendance + summer enrichment
universityTop ~5 Purdue freshmen via competitive Stamps process.
Deadline: November 1
Learn more ↗Indiana Adult Student Grant
Up to $2,000/year
stateIN adults (25+) attending IN colleges at least half-time with financial need.
Deadline: FAFSA by April 15
Learn more ↗IU Bloomington Cox Engagement Center Scholarship
$1,000-$5,000/year + civic engagement
universityIU students with sustained community service involvement.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
19.0%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
19.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
64.0%
% in-state
Residents of the college's home state
15.0%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
27.0%
Yield rate
Share of admitted students who enroll
90.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
81.0%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Demonstrated interest
Not considered
Visits, info sessions and opening emails don't move the needle here.
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
80% acceptance
Both admit around 80% of applicants, with 39k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE
80% acceptance
Both admit around 80% of applicants, with 25k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX
79.9% acceptance
Both admit around 80% of applicants, with 32k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH
84.5% acceptance
Similar selectivity (85% vs 80%) but out-of-state cost runs $11k — meaningfully less than $39k.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
86.9% acceptance
Similar selectivity (87% vs 80%) but out-of-state cost runs $13k — meaningfully less than $39k.
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI
89.8% acceptance
Similar selectivity (90% vs 80%) but out-of-state cost runs $15k — meaningfully less than $39k.
Reaches above this college
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI
45.2% acceptance
Same c setting in the Midwest, but more selective (45% vs 80%) — a stretch target if Indiana University is already on your list.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
42.4% acceptance
Same c setting in the Midwest, but more selective (42% vs 80%) — a stretch target if Indiana University is already on your list.
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
17.7% acceptance
Same c setting in the Midwest, but more selective (18% vs 80%) — a stretch target if Indiana University is already on your list.
Safer alternatives
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA
92.7% acceptance
Same c setting in the Midwest, but higher admit rate (93% vs 80%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
93.5% acceptance
Same c setting in the Midwest, but higher admit rate (94% vs 80%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Fargo, ND
95% acceptance
Same c setting in the Midwest, but higher admit rate (95% vs 80%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
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