That question does not have a single answer, but it does have real data behind it. Let’s walk through the data together, calmly, so that by the time you finish this article, you understand what kind of university Indiana State University is: what it offers, what it really costs, whom it admits, who stays and who does not, and what questions you need to ask before your child makes a decision.
What Kind of School It Is and Where It Stands
Indiana State University is a public four-year university. The federal system that classifies institutions in this country—Carnegie—places it among doctoral and professional universities and within its broader family of doctoral institutions. That does not mean your child will see a great deal of research in the first year; that family groups together categories that differ greatly from one another. What IPEDS, the Department of Education’s data system, does say is that a doctorate is the highest level the institution reports offering and that the school awards primarily bachelor’s and advanced degrees.
Carnegie also describes it, using 2019-20 data, as a four-year, medium-sized, primarily residential school: between 25 and 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least half attended full time. Carnegie also places it in its “inclusive” admissions category, a label that groups together two types of schools: those that did not report admissions scores and those that reported scores indicating broad access. The label alone does not tell you which of the two Indiana State is—for that, there are more specific data that you will see later. And if you ever come across an old list, be careful: the category it had in 2015 is not the one it has today.
Physically, the university is in Terre Haute, Indiana, in Vigo County, within its metropolitan area. That does not tell you whether the campus is right downtown or how to get there from where you live. If your child is thinking about living at home while attending, do yourself a favor: drive the route on a weekday at the time your child would have class. The time shown on the map is almost never the actual travel time.
One note worth clarifying right away: Indiana State University does not have any of three special designations that some of the country’s other 138 universities do—it is not a historically Black university, a tribal university, or a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: which cultural centers and student organizations exist today, and speak with someone who already attends.
The Size of the Community and Who Makes It Up
In the most recent official count, Indiana State had 8,304 enrolled students: 6,668 undergraduates and 1,636 graduate students. It is neither a small school nor a huge one—it falls right in the middle compared with other similar selective public institutions. Above all, it is a bachelor’s-degree-focused school.
Among undergraduates, there are more women than men: out of every 100 students, 56 are women. There is also a mix of ages—19 out of every 100 are between the ages of 25 and 64, so this is not a campus where everyone has just finished high school.
Here is a number worth stating clearly, without dressing it up: among undergraduate students in fall 2023, 7 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with the country’s other 519 selective public institutions, Indiana State ranks below the midpoint of that group. That neither takes the school off your list nor puts it on. A number does not make a university bad or good; it tells you who is enrolled, nothing more. If your child will be one of the few, your task during the visit is to ask which Latino student groups exist, whether there is a cultural center, and whether anyone in the offices speaks Spanish—and to speak with a student who is already there before deciding. Also remember that the figure of 7 out of every 100 applies to the whole school; your child’s specific major may look very different.
Being large does not mean more options, and being small does not mean more attention for your child. What truly matters must be asked about by major, not for the entire school.
How the Academic Year Works and How Broad the Offerings Are
The calendar follows semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The university reported that it accepts credit for AP exams as well as what IPEDS calls “credit for life experience”—independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, prior certifications, and military or professional experience. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program and accepts credit for military training.
Be aware of something important: the school’s reporting that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam. These data do not tell us what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific major. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until they are confirmed.
As for the academic offerings: between July 2022 and June 2023, Indiana State awarded 1,567 bachelor’s degrees across 27 distinct fields of study. Business and management awarded the largest number, accounting for 21 out of every 100 degrees that year—no other field exceeded it, but it did not account for a majority either. Compared with the other 514 selective public institutions, Indiana State falls within the quartile offering the largest number of fields of study. The offerings are broad, with no single area dominating everything. But keep in mind: 27 fields represented in the report do not mean 27 specific majors, and some rows may show zero degrees for that year. Verify the exact program your child is interested in, using its exact name.
Regarding class size, Indiana State reports 17 students per full-time-equivalent faculty member. That is a middle-range figure, neither among the lowest nor among the highest at similar schools. And something must be said very clearly: that number does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. It is an institution-wide ratio, not a measure of first-year classes.
The university also reports structured pathways such as study abroad, credit-bearing developmental education, and teacher certification preparation, including state approval for initial teacher certification.
Getting In Is Not Difficult—but Getting In Is Not the Only Thing That Matters
Here is a fact that will probably change what you imagined: Indiana State does not have open admissions. It reviews specific elements before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks four as required: the high school transcript, grade point average, completion of the college-preparatory coursework the university requires, and an English proficiency exam when applicable. The personal essay, letters of recommendation, and a work sample (a portfolio or competency exam) are not required, but the university does consider them if you submit them. The published application fee is $25.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English proficiency exam applies and what qualifies for an exemption. This is the kind of thing families discover too late if they do not ask in time.
Now, the number you really need to understand: during the 2023 cycle, Indiana State received 13,601 applications and offered admission to 12,445 applicants. That is 92 out of every 100. It is a highly accessible university—among institutions that do admit selectively, it ranks on the high side for acceptance compared with the country’s other selective public institutions. Even so, 1,156 applicants did not receive an offer. Submitting a complete application on time still matters.
But here is the part most families do not see coming: out of every 100 admitted students, only 13 ultimately enrolled. Put another way, out of every 8 young people who receive a yes from this school, about one ends up enrolling there. The other seven had an offer and did not accept it. And I want to be clear about something: that is not a mark against the school. The federal record does not say why each person made that decision. What it does tell you is this: receiving an acceptance letter is not the same as deciding to attend. What others did does not tell you what the school will offer you. Wait for your letter showing the net price—what the year will really cost—before deciding whether this school remains on your list.
One more fact may reassure you if your child is not strong on standardized tests: Indiana State does not consider the SAT or ACT in its admissions decision, even if applicants submit them. That does not cover scholarships or course placement—ask about those separately.
And if your child is coming from another university: in fall 2023, 510 undergraduate transfer students enrolled. That is a count of actual people, not a percentage, and it goes hand in hand with the school’s size. How many credits the university accepts is an entirely separate conversation, one that must be held directly with the university.
The List Price and Why It Is Not the Actual Bill
At Indiana State University, among 308 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $7,702. Among 157 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $11,400; among 168 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $19,574. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (308 students) and the average for the highest-income band (168 students) is $11,872. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $13,321.
The advertised price is not the same as the price paid. Here, for students with low income, the average net price was $7,702 in academic year 2022-23.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; because this is a public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
How Students Pay: Grants, Pell, and Loans
At Indiana State, 73 out of every 100 degree-seeking students receive some type of aid that does not have to be repaid—a grant or scholarship. Among those who receive it, the annual average was $10,147. And out of every 100 students, 39 receive Pell Grants, the federal aid for families with demonstrated low income.
Be aware of something that confuses many families: the percentage receiving aid and the average amount received should not be multiplied by each other—they are two separate calculations with different denominators. When your financial aid letter arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters mix them together in one column, which creates more confusion than clarity.
As for loans: in the 2022-23 school year, 51 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan, and the average among borrowers was $6,385 that year. Compared with other selective public institutions, this share of students with loans is on the high side. Here, financing an education through debt is common. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years in the plan, the total would be close to $25,540 before interest—and that is a number to consider before the first signature, not at the end.
An honest clarification: that average covers only one year and only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes take out, bank debt, or credit card debt. And it is not the total debt someone has upon graduating—to determine that, the four years would have to be added together, and that number is not in this report. The amount your child would actually need to borrow comes from your child’s own financial aid letter, not this national average. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school or committing to it.
The university also reports an installment tuition payment plan as an option for managing the cost.
Living There: Campus, Learning Format, and Support
Indiana State has its own housing, with space for 3,743 students on or off campus. Living there is not required for all first-time, full-time students—but that does not tell you whether a specific program requires it. The university also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available; request this year’s rate, the deadline to apply for a room, and whether space is guaranteed or your child will be placed on a waiting list, all in writing.
If your child is interested in ROTC, the university reports two branches: Army and Air Force. Navy is not marked. A branch being marked does not mean the program is taught on this particular campus—ask about that program by name before building a plan around that option.
In athletics, Indiana State competes in the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. That does not tell you whether there is space on the team, which division each sport competes in, or whether athletic scholarships are available—ask the coach directly, in writing.
Regarding distance education, the university offers it at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 23 take their entire course load online, and 77 take at least one class in person. The university also reports at least one complete program that can be completed entirely through distance education—but confirm the exact level and major before assuming it applies to what your child wants to study.
The library has paid staff, annual expenditures above the $100,000 threshold tracked by the government, physical and digital materials, and interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that specific databases are available for your child’s major—ask by the name of the major.
For general support, the university also reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services, placement services after program completion, on-campus child care, participation in Yellow Ribbon for veterans, a point of contact for veterans and military personnel, a student veterans organization, and a webpage dedicated to services for people with disabilities.
Who Stays and Who Graduates
This is perhaps the most important part of the entire article—and the part most deserving of an unhurried reading.
Of the full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in fall 2022, 69 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had graduated one year later. That is approximately three out of four. Compared with other selective public institutions, this share ranks near the bottom. The data do not separate how many are still enrolled from how many have already graduated, nor do they explain what happened to the rest. Not appearing as retained does not mean someone gave up—the student may have transferred, paused, or simply chosen a different path. The data report the outcome, not the reasons.
Now for graduation: of the 2,671 first-time, full-time students who entered bachelor’s degree programs in 2017, 1,097 had earned a degree from this school six years later. That is 41 out of every 100. At four years, the figure falls to 30 out of every 100. Compared with the other 518 selective public institutions, Indiana State falls within the bottom quartile of the group.
Put plainly: after six years, 41 out of every 100 members of that cohort had graduated from this school, and 59 had not. It is almost half and half. The data do not say why each person left or stayed—but this is a legitimate question to ask the university: what specific support is available, and how long does it take on average to complete the particular major your child is interested in?
Looking at a longer horizon—eight years, following a cohort that entered in 2015-16 and including full-time and part-time students—45 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this institution as of August 2023. Within that group, students who received Pell Grants graduated at a notably lower rate: 37 out of every 100, sixteen points below students who did not receive Pell Grants. That difference is worth naming directly, without softening it: in this historical cohort, low-income students had a more difficult path to earning a credential. That does not determine what will happen to your child if your child qualifies for Pell today—but it is a concrete reason to ask the school what exists specifically for these students: an assigned advisor, emergency aid, and whether institutional grants or scholarships are renewed each year. And ask for the answer in writing.
What You Can Do With All of This
You now understand, in considerable depth, one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: what Indiana State University really is and offers. You know that admission is accessible, that the gap between the advertised price and the price paid can be enormous depending on your family’s income, that student debt is common there, and that half of those who enroll do not end up graduating from that same school within six years.
None of those numbers decides anything on its own. And none tells you what will happen to your child in particular.
The other two pieces of the plan are not in this article and cannot be: what your child truly wants to study and what your child has already built to get there, and what your family can and is willing to pay. You know those two things, not a federal file.
If your child is just beginning to build a college list, this is a good school to place alongside others and compare by actual net price, not list price. If it is already on the list, request the AP credit evaluation in writing, ask about the exact major of interest, and do not make any financial decision until you have the financial aid letter in hand. And if you live outside Indiana, remember that the difference here between the resident and nonresident price is almost $12,000 per year—first ask what determines your classification before comparing figures.
Now you understand this piece thoroughly. Combine it with the other two, and that is where a real plan begins.
The information in this article comes from IPEDS and the United States Department of Education, with data corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Indiana State University or any government agency; this article is not a substitute for direct verification with the institution’s admissions and financial aid offices.