Insurance at Ball State University

Ball State's insurance program sits in an unusual position: it ranks in just the 12th percentile nationally for earnings, yet lands at the 60th percentile within Indiana. This apparent contradiction reflects the reality that Indiana's insurance programs collectively underperform the national market—the state median of $48,615 is well below the national median of $55,819. So while Ball State outpaces half of its in-state competitors, that's clearing a low bar.

The $27,000 debt load is actually a bright spot, falling in the 5th percentile nationally (meaning 95% of programs saddle students with more debt). With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, graduates typically earn nearly double their debt in the first year—a manageable situation by any measure. However, those $48,615 starting salaries trail the national insurance program median by over $7,000 annually, a gap that compounds significantly over a career.

The critical caveat: this analysis draws from fewer than 30 graduates, making the numbers potentially unreliable. If your student is committed to insurance and staying in Indiana, Ball State won't burden them with crushing debt. But if they're geographically flexible, programs in states with stronger insurance markets would likely deliver substantially higher earnings for similar or even lower debt. Ask the department about career placement locations—if graduates mostly stay local rather than moving to major insurance hubs, that would explain the earnings gap.