Private nonprofit · University

Butler University

Indianapolis, Indiana · Large city

#3 graduation rate in Indiana#4 for grad earnings in Indiana
85.1%
Admit rate
$36,041
Avg net price
80%
Graduation rate
$77,235
Median earnings

Butler University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Indianapolis, Indiana (large city setting), enrolling 4,317 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 4,317 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 85% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Pioneer Football LeagueCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Butler University's admitted students.

Admit rate
85.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
1160–1350
Avg GPA (est.)
3.56

Enter a test score to see where you land against Butler University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Butler University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, colloquially known as Indy, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County. In 1816, the year Indiana gained statehood, U.S. Congress designated four sections of land in central Indiana as the future seat of state government, contingent on tribal removal. With a permanent collection of 54,000 works, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields is the city's primary art museum. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
135 miles
Nearest airport
11 miles to Indianapolis (IND) · major hub

How Butler University compares

Selectivity85.1%

More selective than 35% · #32 most selective of 42 in Indiana

SAT average1274

Higher than 75%

Graduation rate80%

Higher than 89% · #3 of 45 in Indiana

First-year retention87%

Higher than 82%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$77,235

Higher than 89% · #4 of 44 in Indiana

Average net price$36,041

Cheaper than 8% · #44 cheapest of 45 in Indiana

Median debt at graduation$26,000

Lower than 24%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment4,317

Larger than 75%

Percentiles compare Butler University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Indiana.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

5,574students
  • Undergraduate4,31777%
  • Graduate1,25723%

Undergraduates by gender

4,317undergrads
  • Women2,59560%
  • Men1,72240%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White77%
  • Black5.2%
  • Hispanic7.4%
  • Asian4.0%
  • Other or multiracial6.6%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
4,317
Graduate enrollment
1,257
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
15%
First-generation students
13%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$109,207
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$87,246
Endowment
$297,229,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,151 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Indiana51%
  • Other U.S. states48%
  • International0.5%

A regional draw: about 51% of first-years come from Indiana, the rest from elsewhere.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
85.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1160–1350
SAT average
1274
SAT reading
590–680
SAT math
570–670
ACT composite
26–31
Average GPA (estimated)
3.56

Cost

In-state tuition
$47,560
Room & board
$16,430
Books & supplies
$1,300
Total cost of attendance
$65,970
Average net price
$36,041

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
80%
Graduated on time (4 years)
72%
First-year retention
87%
Transferred to another college
16%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$61,627
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$77,235
Median debt at graduation
$26,000
Students with federal loans
43%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
81%

About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
72%
Low-income (Pell)
72%
First-generation
73%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,459
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
57%
Housing charge (year)
$7,420
Meal plan (year)
$7,930
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Pioneer Football League
Varsity athletes
571 (325 men · 246 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (11)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)173
Football119
Soccer61
Basketball43
Baseball42
Lacrosse28
Swimming26
Volleyball22
Softball21
Golf20
Tennis16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
42
Property offenses (2022–2024)
18

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,746 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

20reported offenses a year
14 violent a year6.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
7.7
Fondling
5.0
Burglary
4.0
Motor vehicle theft
2.0
Aggravated assault
1.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$25,278
$30–48k
$25,696
$48–75k
$32,679
$75–110k
$36,778
$110k+
$41,134

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$135,857

$32,679/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

96%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$22,909
average award, among those who get one

Butler University discounts heavily: 96% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $22,909. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,199 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$77,235
Typical debt at graduation
$26,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
34%
Out-earn a HS grad
81%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$70,736
Men
$87,062

Men out-earn women by $16,326 (23%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
85°F
Winter low
21°F
Annual rain
40.7″
Annual snow
26.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Indianapolis Eagle Creek AP, IN US station (6.6 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Butler University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Butler University side by side →

Colleges near Butler University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.