Ball State University is the one to watch. Propelled by an innovative, immersive approach to education and guided by exact and enduring values, Ball State University is on the minds and in the hearts of every potential student, elected official, and community leader. We are a source of pride for alumni and our community.
There is more to Ball State University than you may think. While we are proud of our roots as a Teachers College, we have grown far beyond them. Ball State is a world-class university. Our students and alumni are designing extreme weather shelters, providing animation for major motion pictures, hold key positions in major media and news organizations, and are winning songwriting competitions, to name just a few.
We empower faculty, staff, and students because responsibility is assumed. We encourage them to take risks because we believe failure is a step closer to success. We insist faculty and students be learning partners because we understand the quest for knowledge and greater understanding is a shared experience. They are given freedom and flexibility and are expected to be engrossed and persistent. We know flying is challenging, but it's also exhilarating. So we foster a culture that believes in students, faculty, and staff, and we demand they believe in themselves.
Seven academic colleges are featuring some of the most advanced educational facilities. Residence halls that combine emerging technology with an environmentally friendly design. Athletic venues that host NCAA Division I teams. Libraries.Food courts. Not to mention landmarks such as Beneficence, Shafer Tower, and Frog Baby. There's a lot to take in on our vibrant campus. The best way to experience it all is to schedule a visit. Or take our virtual tour to see highlights online, including 360-degree views of our student recreation center and residence hall rooms. Our seven academic colleges provide an excellent education, and our students have access to top-notch technology from day one.
We offer about 190 bachelor's degree programs, over 130 minors, and more than 140 graduate programs. Our centers and institutes support our students' education throughout campus, produce nationally recognized research, serve our neighbors near and far, and strive in countless other ways to change the world around us. Get the intimacy, attention, and challenge of a small liberal arts college amid a larger university through our Honors College. You will fuel your intellectual curiosity with a robust curriculum while connecting with classmates through life-changing out-of-class opportunities.
Ball State considers all international undergraduate freshmen and transfers applicants for scholarships. No separate scholarship application is needed.
You have hundreds of student organizations to choose from and dozens of events to attend every week. Greek life encourages academic success, builds lifelong friendships, and more. In one year, about 3,000 student volunteers provided 60,000 service hours to 140 community partners. Whether you plan to participate or observe, our music ensembles and theatre productions showcase our students' and professors' talents. Visit our art museum to take in exhibits from around the world, or if you'd like to see what our students can do, head to the Atrium Gallery. Plus, Emens Auditorium pulls in some of the country's biggest acts.
Cheer on our 19 NCAA Division I teams or join one of our intramural teams and sports clubs. Our recreation center houses some of the most impressive athletic and exercise facilities you'll find in the Midwest, and we offer dozens of fitness classes and programs. We promote a culture of respect and civil discourse at Ball State—our Beneficence Pledge says so. We value all community members' intrinsic worth—we expect everyone to participate in and contribute to our collegial environment.
Ball State's tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship is rooted in the late 19th century when Muncie business leaders envisioned a local college to boost its development. Among the visionaries were Frank C. Ball and his brothers, young New York industrialists who moved to Muncie, looking to expand their glass container business. A small, private teacher training school opened in 1899.
After the community's efforts to sustain the college failed, the Ball brothers purchased the defunct institution's land and buildings and donated them to the State of Indiana. This gift became the Indiana State Normal School Eastern Division, which opened in 1918 to meet Indiana's need for more and better teachers. In recognition of the Ball family's generosity, the Indiana General Assembly changed the school's name to Ball Teachers College in 1922 and then Ball State Teachers College in 1929. The winged statue Beneficence stands on the campus as a tribute to the family. This and other landmarks from Ball State's early years are featured in our historical walking tour of the Old Quadrangle.
Today, Ball State's entrepreneurial spirit continues to shine through numerous expansions and additions of degree offerings, technological resources, immersive learning opportunities, community outreach projects, and state-of-the-art facilities. These investments prepare bright students to take advantage of current and emerging job opportunities, meet society's most pressing needs, and serve the communities in which they will live and work.
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