Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is the public flagship of the IU system, set on a wooded limestone campus in southern Indiana and home to roughly 38,500 undergraduates. Admission is selective but accessible for a school its size — about 76% of more than 74,000 applicants are admitted, and enrolled first-years average a 3.8 high school GPA with middle-50% SAT scores of 1200–1410. The Kelley School of Business anchors the university, and business and marketing is by far the most popular field at roughly a third of bachelor's degrees, followed by the life sciences, public affairs, and the Media School. With strong first-year retention and low in-state tuition, IU remains one of the better values among major public research universities.
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Indiana admissions statistics
Acceptance rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly action
Indiana offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized tests
Indiana is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Indiana application deadlines — Fall 2027
Last checked August 19, 2026. If you are applying, you should verify deadlines on Indiana’s site.
- Early ActionNovember 1, 2026
For highest admission and scholarship consideration
- Regular DecisionFebruary 1, 2027
After February 1, applications will only be accepted on a space-available basis
Source: Indiana’s admissions dates page · checked August 19, 2026
Indiana supplemental essays
Indiana requires no supplemental essay for the 2026-2027 cycle — your Common App personal statement is the only essay they read.
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Class rank
Where Indiana's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 27% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Indiana does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions factors
How Indiana weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Indiana's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
What families actually pay
Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.
Source: College Scorecard (2026)
Financial aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Frequently asked questions about Indiana admissions
Enrolled first-years at IU Bloomington average about a 3.8 high school GPA on a 4.0 scale. There is no hard cutoff, but academic GPA, class rank, and the rigor of your course load are all weighed as very important factors, so competitive applicants carry strong grades in a challenging schedule.
IU Bloomington admitted about 75.9% of applicants in the most recent cycle, receiving roughly 74,000 applications and enrolling around 10,100 first-years. It is selective but accessible for its size, though admission to high-demand programs can be more competitive than the overall rate suggests.
Out-of-state applicants are actually admitted at a slightly higher rate than Indiana residents. In the most recent cycle, IU Bloomington admitted 78.6% of out-of-state applicants (39,841 of 50,700) compared with 72.2% of in-state applicants (12,612 of 17,458). International applicants saw a 63.6% admit rate (3,765 of 5,919). State residency is rated only a considered factor, and the numbers reflect that out-of-state students face no meaningful disadvantage in the overall pool.
IU Bloomington is test-optional, so you can apply without scores. Among enrolled first-years who submitted them, the middle 50% scored 1200 to 1410 on the SAT and 28 to 33 on the ACT; standardized test scores are treated as an important factor in the review.
Yes, a 1400 is competitive at IU Bloomington. It sits near the 75th percentile of enrolled first-years, whose middle 50% scored 1200 to 1410 on the SAT. Because IU is test-optional, a strong score helps but is not required to apply.
Annual tuition and required fees are about $12,144 for Indiana residents and $42,295 for out-of-state students. Roughly 36% of first-years receive need-based aid, with an average package near $17,195, and IU meets about 65% of demonstrated need on average.
Business and marketing is by far the largest area at about 34% of bachelor's degrees, reflecting the prominence of the Kelley School of Business. The biological and life sciences, parks and recreation, communication and journalism, and computer and information sciences round out the most popular fields.
Yes. IU Bloomington rates the application essay as an important factor in its holistic review, on par with standardized test scores and just below academics like GPA, class rank, and course rigor. A specific, well-revised essay is a meaningful way to strengthen your application.
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Popular majors
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student-faculty ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Student outcomes
Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.
Source: College Scorecard (2026)
Programs
Indiana’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
- Kinesiology & Exercise Science
410 degrees (2023-24)
~$69kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt - Communication & Media Studies
348 degrees (2023-24)
~$64kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt - Computer & Information Sciences
271 degrees (2023-24)
~$99kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt - Biology
264 degrees (2023-24)
~$65kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt - Public Health
184 degrees (2023-24)
~$68kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
Show all 27 programsShow fewer
- Computer Science
172 degrees (2023-24)
~$114kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt - Music
133 degrees (2023-24)
~$29kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt - Neuroscience
110 degrees (2023-24)
~$74kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$23k median debt - Journalism
105 degrees (2023-24)
~$59kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt - Political Science
86 degrees (2023-24)
~$70kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$18k median debt - Criminal Justice
85 degrees (2023-24)
~$58kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt - Environmental Science & Natural Resources
76 degrees (2023-24)
~$56kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$18k median debt - Economics
62 degrees (2023-24)
~$100kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt - Fine & Studio Arts
56 degrees (2023-24)
~$44kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$18k median debt - History
51 degrees (2023-24)
~$58kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt - English
49 degrees (2023-24)
~$56kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$16k median debt - Chemistry
44 degrees (2023-24)
~$61kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt - Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
43 degrees (2023-24)
~$79kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$23k median debt - General EngineeringNot ABET-accredited
34 degrees (2023-24)
Not publishedmedian pay after graduation - Mathematics
33 degrees (2023-24)
~$89kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt - Linguistics & Language Studies
17 degrees (2023-24)
~$42kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt - Philosophy
16 degrees (2023-24)
Not publishedmedian pay after graduation - Physics
13 degrees (2023-24)
Not publishedmedian pay after graduation~$22k median debt - Area Studies
5 degrees (2023-24)
Not publishedmedian pay after graduation~$21k median debt - Earth & Geological Sciences
4 degrees (2023-24)
Not publishedmedian pay after graduation - Psychology
Degrees conferred not published (2023-24)
~$54kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt - Nursing
Degrees conferred not published (2023-24)
~$82kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.
Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET
Campus life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Place
How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.
Average temperature
Monthly high and low, °FThirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.
Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, BLOOMINGTON INDIANA UNIV, IN US station, 0.6 mi from campus
Enrollment by gender
Student diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Source: Indiana University Bloomington Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-26. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Indiana. Banner photo by SUZUKI Hironobu, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Cite this page as: Esslo College Explorer, “Indiana University Bloomington admissions statistics, transcribed from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set,” https://www.esslo.org/colleges/indiana-bloomington (retrieved 2026-06-26).
