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CollegeROIData

Anderson University vs Ball State University

Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data

Reviewed by CollegeROIData Editorial Team · Updated

Verdict

Anderson University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Ball State University at 100.0%. Average median debt: Anderson University at $26,209 vs Ball State University at $27,545. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $60,500 vs $52,000.

MetricAnderson UniversityBall State University
Graduation Rate100.0%100.0%
School TypePrivatePublic
StateInIn
Avg Median Debt
Average median debt across all tracked majors
$26,209*$27,545
Avg 1yr Earnings
Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors
$60,500*$52,000
Majors Tracked2020
Best ROI MajorComputer Science (95/100)*Business/Commerce (77/100)
Best Major Debt$22,675*$27,272
Best Major 1yr Earnings$95,000*$65,000

Anderson University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Ball State University at 100.0%. Average median debt: Anderson University at $26,209 vs Ball State University at $27,545. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $60,500 vs $52,000.

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Completion rates run close at the two schools: 100.0% versus 100.0%. When graduation probability is comparable across both options, the decision comes down to cost and post-graduation earnings rather than degree-completion risk.

Average median debt is roughly even across Anderson University and Ball State University. The cost side of the comparison effectively cancels out; the meaningful question becomes whether the program mix and the earnings outcomes differ enough to break the tie.

Early-career earnings run moderately apart — $52,000 versus $60,500. At the mid-range gap, the ROI math is usually decided by the debt side rather than the earnings side: the school with the more favorable cost structure typically wins the absolute return calculation even when its earnings figure is the lower of the two.

Both schools sit in In, which simplifies the in-state-vs-out-of-state tuition question and aligns the regional labor markets students will enter post-graduation. Cross-school comparisons within the same state should weight program mix and employer-pipeline depth heavily — the cost-of-living and labor-market backdrop is effectively held constant, so program-level differences are the differentiator.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026.