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Downtown MunciePhoto: Emmmmh · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Muncie

Muncie is a college town: 22 of every 100 residents are students

Ball State University (15,060 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Indiana, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town22% of residents are studentsBall State University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Muncie. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
15,060 students on campus
Nearest college
0.8 mi
Ball State
Residents in college
22%
Above IN (6%)
Nearest community college
48.8 mi
Ivy Tech · $5,154 tuition
Nearest public university
0.8 mi
Ball State · $11,082 in-state
Students on campus in Muncie
15,060
next to 65,466 residents

What stands out about college in Muncie

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town22 of every 100 Muncie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.A university in MuncieBall State University has 15,060 students on campus in Muncie, 62% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Ball StateLiving in Indiana, Ball State University charges $11,082 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $29,630. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 48.8 miles awayIvy Tech Community College in Indianapolis: tuition and fees $5,154 a year for Indiana residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Muncie

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

23 of every 100 Muncie residents are in college (IN: 6).

15,060students on campus at Ball State University, next to 65,466 residents (dorm students count as residents)
8,668college students live in Muncie households rather than dorms
29.7median age · IN 38.1
53%of residents are women · IN 50% (±0.7 points)
48%of homes rented · IN 29%
$904median rent · 15% below the state
MuncieMuncie, IN
Cost of living$904/mo median rentB+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIDHealthCDC estimatesDJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Muncie’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 29.1% of Muncie residents are below the poverty line, 22.3% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 66% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B+

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 22%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health D

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Muncie’s median age is 29.7 (Indiana 38.1), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Muncie

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Muncie.

5 mi10 mi15 miBall StateMuncie
University or collegeCommunity college
Ball State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 15,060 on campus · In Muncie86%admitted$15knet price62%graduate$52kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Muncie’s median household income ($44,471) falls.

Ball State UniversityIn Muncie · sticker $26,146$9,848a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Muncie: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Ball State
Ball State University62% graduate$52k earnings$23k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Muncie

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Ball State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 17%Education 10%Communication 10%Psychology 9%Liberal arts 8%Health professions 8%Everything else 38%

Biggest programs

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities199 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods189 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Psychology, General189 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication178 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Business/Commerce, General164 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing151 graduates a year
$76k4 yrs out
Biology, General141 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas129 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Muncie

Is Muncie a college town?

Yes. 22 of every 100 Muncie residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Indiana. Ball State University has 15,060 students on campus, next to 65,466 residents.

What colleges are in Muncie?

Ball State University is inside the city. Ivy Tech Community College is 48.8 miles away in Indianapolis.

Why is Muncie’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 29.1% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 22.3% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 3 points).

What is the closest community college to Muncie, and what does it cost?

Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, 48.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,154 a year for Indiana residents; the federal net price, $7,258, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Ball State University?

Ball State University admitted 86% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,080–1,260 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Muncie. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →