Graduates of Ball State University earn median earnings of $57,619 four years after enrollment, placing Ball State University in the 32.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,953 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Ball State University in the 45.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Ball State University #811 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program family is Business, which shapes both the scale and the earnings profile of the typical graduate. The program lineup at Ball State University reflects a broad, professionally oriented mix. Nursing anchors the return story by combining high enrollment with competitive median earnings, making it the single largest contributor to aggregate graduate earnings at the institution. The Radio, Television, and Digital Communication program graduates 197 students with median earnings of $47,737 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #28 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Business/Commerce, General and General Studies are also among the larger programs by cohort scale — 174 and 171 graduates respectively — with median earnings of $67,141 and $49,657 four years after enrollment. On the higher-earning end, Teacher Education and Nursing post median earnings of $48,344 and $76,161 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking Teacher Education #112 and Nursing #273 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates of Ball State University earn median earnings of $57,619 four years after enrollment, placing Ball State University in the 32.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,953 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Ball State University in the 45.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Ball State University #811 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program family is Business, which shapes both the scale and the earnings profile of the typical graduate. The program lineup at Ball State University reflects a broad, professionally oriented mix. Nursing anchors the return story by combining high enrollment with competitive median earnings, making it the single largest contributor to aggregate graduate earnings at the institution. The Radio, Television, and Digital Communication program graduates 197 students with median earnings of $47,737 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #28 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Business/Commerce, General and General Studies are also among the larger programs by cohort scale — 174 and 171 graduates respectively — with median earnings of $67,141 and $49,657 four years after enrollment. On the higher-earning end, Teacher Education and Nursing post median earnings of $48,344 and $76,161 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking Teacher Education #112 and Nursing #273 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Ball State University earn median earnings of $57,619 four years after enrollment, placing Ball State University in the 32.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,953 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Ball State University in the 45.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Ball State University #811 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program family is Business, which shapes both the scale and the earnings profile of the typical graduate. The program lineup at Ball State University reflects a broad, professionally oriented mix. Nursing anchors the return story by combining high enrollment with competitive median earnings, making it the single largest contributor to aggregate graduate earnings at the institution. The Radio, Television, and Digital Communication program graduates 197 students with median earnings of $47,737 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #28 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Business/Commerce, General and General Studies are also among the larger programs by cohort scale — 174 and 171 graduates respectively — with median earnings of $67,141 and $49,657 four years after enrollment. On the higher-earning end, Teacher Education and Nursing post median earnings of $48,344 and $76,161 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking Teacher Education #112 and Nursing #273 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Ball State University's program mix is anchored in business and applied professional fields — a signature consistent with its identity as a regional public university serving Indiana's workforce. Business represents the largest share of degree output, with Business accounting for 19% of graduates, followed by Education at 11% and Arts at 7%. Across 66 programs, 48 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, together serving roughly 3,327 students annually. The program with the strongest combination of scale and earnings is Nursing, which anchors Ball State University's financial outcomes by pairing a large graduate cohort with competitive median earnings four years after enrollment. Among the most popular programs, Radio, Television, and Digital Communication program graduates 197 students with median earnings of $47,737 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #28 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business/Commerce, General and General Studies are also among the largest programs by cohort size, with graduates earning $67,141 and $49,657, respectively, four years after enrollment. The highest-earning programs at Ball State University are concentrated in applied business and technical fields. Nursing leads on earnings, with 159 graduates earning median earnings of $76,161 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks it #273 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business/Commerce, General follows, with graduates earning $67,141 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #22 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These programs represent direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect labor-market outcomes rather than graduate-school continuation. For context on how these fields align with national hiring demand, see supply and demand for college graduates.
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Ball State University earn median earnings of $57,619 four years after enrollment, placing Ball State University in the 32.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,953 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Ball State University in the 45.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Ball State University #811 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program family is Business, which shapes both the scale and the earnings profile of the typical graduate. The program lineup at Ball State University reflects a broad, professionally oriented mix. Nursing anchors the return story by combining high enrollment with competitive median earnings, making it the single largest contributor to aggregate graduate earnings at the institution. The Radio, Television, and Digital Communication program graduates 197 students with median earnings of $47,737 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #28 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Business/Commerce, General and General Studies are also among the larger programs by cohort scale — 174 and 171 graduates respectively — with median earnings of $67,141 and $49,657 four years after enrollment. On the higher-earning end, Teacher Education and Nursing post median earnings of $48,344 and $76,161 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking Teacher Education #112 and Nursing #273 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
