I am not going to tell you here whether Indiana University-Bloomington is "good" or "bad." No federal data says that. I am going to explain, using the official information the United States government collects from the university itself, what kind of school it is, how it compares with its peers, what it really costs, and what happens to the students who enroll there. With that information, you can decide how it fits—or does not fit—into your family's plan.
What Kind of University Is It?
Indiana University-Bloomington is a public, four-year university located in the city of Bloomington, in Monroe County, Indiana. It is classified among the institutions with the highest level of doctoral research activity—the highest level assigned by IPEDS, the Department of Education's data system. It is also described as a large, primarily residential school: between 25 and 49 out of every 100 undergraduate students lived in institution-owned housing, and at least half studied full time.
This is not just decoration. It means you are looking at a large university with campus life, high-level research, and admission requirements that are not automatic. Its undergraduate profile places it within the selective-admission group.
Another fact worth understanding clearly: Indiana University-Bloomington is not registered as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which communities it serves today or how your child would feel there. You investigate that by asking which cultural centers and student organizations currently exist and by speaking with someone who already studies on campus.
And pay attention to something practical: if your child is thinking about living at home, do not rely on what the map says. Drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the time your child's classes would be held. The actual travel time is almost never what Google Maps promises.
A Large Community and a Small Latino Minority
Indiana University-Bloomington is enormous. In its official fall count, it reported 47,527 enrolled students, a figure that places it in the highest band the government uses to measure size: 20,000 students or more. Among the selective, four-year public schools that are part of this same census, at most one in ten has more students.
But that large number is a little misleading: it includes undergraduate and graduate students together. Of those 47,527, 36,833 are undergraduates and 10,694 are graduate students. If your child is about to start an undergraduate degree, the number that matters is 36,833, not the total.
Now, who makes up that community? Of the undergraduate students reported in the fall of 2023, 8 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with the 519 selective public schools in this same census that report the data, it falls below the group's midpoint. There are almost no adult students—only 1 out of every 100 is between 25 and 64 years old—and the distribution between men and women is nearly even: 50 out of every 100 are women. Slightly more than half of entering students, 54 out of every 100, came from the same state of Indiana.
Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, nor would having many make it good. This figure only counts who is enrolled today. If your child will be one of the few, ask which student groups and support services exist, and speak with a Latino student there before deciding. The number is for the entire school; your child's specific degree program may look different.
How the Academic Year Works and What the University Does With What Your Child Has Already Learned
The calendar is organized by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. It is a standard pace, with consistent dates for everyone.
The university stated that it accepts credit from AP exams, as well as what IPEDS calls "credit for life experience"—learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, a portfolio, previous licenses or certifications, or military, government, or professional experience. It also reports enrolling high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program, and that it accepts credit for military training.
But here is a truth you cannot overlook: saying that the university accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam. The data does not say what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward your child's specific degree program. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
The Range of Majors: Broad, but With a Clear Center of Gravity
In a single year, Indiana University-Bloomington awarded 7,455 bachelor's degrees across 27 families of majors—what the government calls CIP families. It is a very broad selection—among the broadest of its peers, in the highest quarter of 514 comparable schools.
But one area accounts for a large share: business and management accounted for 2,484 of those 7,455 degrees, or 33 out of every 100. It is the largest family of majors, by a considerable distance.
That does not mean the other 26 families lack substance or quality. It means that if your child's interest lies outside business, it is worth investigating the size and strength of that particular program rather than assuming the entire university operates the same way.
As for class size, Indiana University-Bloomington reports a ratio of 18 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. That is a middle-range figure when compared with the general scale, but when placed alongside its 519 direct peers, it falls in the highest quarter—meaning it has more students per faculty member than most similar schools. That number does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class: it is an institutional average, not a classroom.
Pathways and Opportunities the University Reports Offering
Indiana University-Bloomington reports offering study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, a complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends, and teacher-certification preparation pathways, including state approval of the program for initial certification. The institutional reporting of these opportunities is a good starting point for questions. It does not say how often they are used or exactly how they work for your child's degree program.
Admission: Selective on Paper, Accessible in the Numbers
This is where many families become nervous, so let us proceed calmly and keep the numbers in order.
Indiana University-Bloomington stated that it does not have open admission. Of the nine possible considerations reviewed by the government, it marked six as required: the high school record, grade point average, class rank, completion of the required college-preparatory program, the personal essay, and an English-language proficiency exam when applicable. It also considers—but does not require—letters of recommendation and work experience. The application fee is $65.
It is a long application. It cannot be put together in one night. If the essay is required, have your child start it during the summer, not the week of the deadline. The first draft is never the one that gets submitted.
Now for the numbers from the 2023 cycle: Indiana University-Bloomington received 54,279 first-time undergraduate applications and offered admission to 43,624 applicants. That means 80 out of every 100 were admitted. It is an accessible rate, slightly below the midpoint of its 519 selective peers in this same census. Put another way, 10,655 applicants did not receive an offer. That is a large number, even though the overall proportion favors applicants who submit a complete application on time.
Here is a fact that surprises many families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 22 ultimately enrolled. The other 78 had a place and did not take it. Do not read that as a stain on the school—the federal record does not say why each person made that decision. What I can tell you is this: receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend. Wait for your own letter showing the net price—what the year would actually cost your family—before removing this school from the list or confirming it.
As for standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains equally complete. Among the students who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—41 out of every 100, a high proportion compared with its peers—the middle half scored between 590 and 690 in reading and writing and between 580 and 710 in mathematics. Those numbers are from students who had already enrolled and submitted scores. They are neither a minimum for admission nor a guarantee of anything.
And regarding transfers: of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking bachelor's degrees, only 10 out of every 100 are recorded as having transferred to another school without completing at Indiana University-Bloomington. That is a low proportion compared with its peers. But remember: this figure does not say what happened to the rest—they may have graduated, remained enrolled, or left school. And if your child ever transfers in or transfers from there, ask in writing which credits will be recognized, with the course list in hand, before making the move.
The Price: Two Very Different Rates and an Enormous Gap
At Indiana University-Bloomington, among the 545 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 $6,125. Among 486 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $12,311; among 891 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $24,018. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $17,893 between the average for the lowest-income band (545 students) and the average for the highest-income band (891 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship, the average was $16,282.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, Indiana University-Bloomington falls within the least expensive quarter for the lowest-income families after scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a fact that carries weight when you decide which schools to apply to.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The aid letter you receive is what matters.
Financial Aid and Loans: Who Receives What
At Indiana University-Bloomington, 66 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some form of aid that does not have to be repaid—scholarships or grants. Among those who received it, the annual average was $11,340. That is more than half of the group, but not everyone.
The Pell Grant, which is federal aid specifically for low-income families, reached only 17 out of every 100. That means at least 49 out of every 100 received aid that came from another source—non-Pell federal, state, local, or institutional aid. A low Pell figure does not mean families like yours have no place here: this data counts those who are already enrolled, not those who might enroll. Ask the financial aid office directly what a family with your income would receive, and request that example in writing.
As for loans, 27 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan during the 2022-23 school year. That is less than half, and it is a low proportion compared with its peers—seven out of every ten similar schools had a higher proportion. Among those who did borrow, each borrowed an average of $5,890 that year.
That average covers a single year and only federal loans in the student's name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates—that would require adding every year together, and that number is not in this report.
The simple truth is this: some young people pass through this university without debt, and some borrow. No overall percentage determines which group your child will fall into. The financial aid letter your child receives in writing determines that.
The institution also reports an installment tuition payment plan and participation in a Promise program as additional mechanisms for organizing payment.
Campus Life, Housing, and Support
Indiana University-Bloomington does have institution-controlled housing, with a reported capacity of 12,496 students. It does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there—but that does not mean no specific program has such a requirement. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected.
The existence of housing does not guarantee a bed for your child. Ask in writing for this year's rate, the housing application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child would join a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC, the university reports opportunities in two branches, the Army and the Air Force. The Navy is not marked. Being marked does not mean the program is necessarily taught on this specific campus—ask about it by name before building a plan around this option.
In sports, Indiana University-Bloomington competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. The membership belongs to the school, not to your child: if your child is interested in a specific sport, write directly to the coach and ask whether there is a place on the team, which division that sport competes in, and whether it offers athletic scholarships.
The university offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although in practice it is marginal: only 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all of their classes remotely. The library operates with hired staff, reports spending above the $100,000 threshold tracked by the government, has physical and digital materials, and participates in interlibrary lending.
Finally, the institution reports a broad list of services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services, on-campus child care, a transition program for students with intellectual disabilities, participation in Yellow Ribbon, a point of contact for veterans and members of the military, and a veterans' student organization. Their being reported is a good starting point for asking how they actually operate today, not a guarantee of quality or access.
Persistence and Graduation: The Part That Truly Matters Over the Long Term
Here we arrive at what many families most want to know: do the students who enter stay and finish?
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022 as full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking students—9,706 students—8,789 were still enrolled or had already completed the degree one year later. That is 91 out of every 100. It is a high proportion: compared with 519 selective peers, Indiana University-Bloomington is among the schools that retain the largest shares of their cohorts.
As for graduation, of the cohort that began bachelor's degrees in 2017—7,964 full-time, first-time students—6,464 had their degrees in hand six years later. That is 81 out of every 100, a high figure compared with its peers. At the four-year mark, the count falls to 71 out of every 100—a ten-point difference between finishing in four years and finishing in six.
It is worth examining the complete details of that cohort: of the 7,964, 775 transferred without completing there and later enrolled at another institution; 60 remained enrolled without finishing within the measured period; and 665 fell into the federal "no longer enrolled" category, which does not state the reason and may include people who completed after the measured time limit.
A high number is not a promise for your particular child. It is what happened to the cohort that entered in 2017. What is within your control as a family is making sure your child begins the first semester with credits in order and knows who the academic advisor is and when registration opens for courses in the degree program.
Finally, one longer-term figure: IPEDS followed a cohort of 9,140 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016. After eight years, 81 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure was 73 out of every 100—ten points below those who did not receive Pell. That gap does not determine your family's outcome today, but it is a legitimate question worth asking the school directly: what advising, emergency aid, and scholarship renewal are available specifically for students with financial need? And ask for the answer in writing.
What Comes Next
You now know in detail one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: what Indiana University-Bloomington is, what it costs, how it admits students, and what happens to its students once they enroll. It is a solid piece, with numbers you can verify and specific questions you can take to the admissions or financial aid office.
But it is only one piece. You still need to consider what your child wants to study and what your child has built so far in high school.
Bring all three together. From that combination—not from any single figure, however good or bad it may seem—comes a plan that will truly serve your family.
Source note: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and Indiana University-Bloomington reports to the United States Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Indiana University-Bloomington or the United States government; this article is informational and does not replace direct verification with the institution before making family decisions.