Spotlight on Indiana University Bloomington

About Indiana University Bloomington

Location: Bloomington, IN

Undergraduate Population: 35,660 

Most Popular Majors: Global Studies, Management, Marketing, Biological sciences, Computer and Information Technology

Motto: Lux et Veritas (“Light and Truth”)

Demographics:

White 67.5%
Asian/Asian American 9.1%
Latinx 8.2%
Multiracial 5.1%
Black/African American 4.2%
Native American less than 1% 

History:

Indiana University Bloomington was established by the Indiana state government on January 20, 1820, as the “State Seminary.” The first professor was classicist Baynard Rush Hall, a Presbyterian minister who taught all of the classes from 1825 to 1827; inthe first year, he taught twelve students, and first class graduated in 1830. The school’s name was first changed to “Indiana College” in 1829, and then to “Indiana University” in 1838.

By1851, IU had nearly a hundred students and seven professors. The school admitted its first female student, Sarah Parke Morrison, in 1867, making it the fourth public university in the nation to admit women alongside men. Morrison went on to become the first female professor at IU in 1873. Between 1920 and 1921, the School of Music and the School of Commerce and Finance (now known as the Kelley School of Business) were established. The Kinsey Institute for sexual research, which studies critical issues in sexuality, gender, and reproduction, was established in 1945.

Today, the university has 12 undergraduate colleges and offers more than 200 undergraduate majors, interdisciplinary study, a design-your-own-major option, and rigorous honors and research programs.

Notable Indiana University Bloomington alumni include businessman Mark Cuban, former basketball player and coach Isiah Thomas, actor Matthew Daddario, environmental activist Jennifer Morgan, and sports announcer Sage Steele.

Traditions:

• At Homecoming in mid-October, students and alumni celebrate IU with events like a parade and football game. Student groups also compete in various events throughout the week to earn the coveted title of Homecoming Grand Champion and win a huge trophy.
• Every November during the IU Dance Marathon, students dance over 36 hours to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. Since 1991, the event has raised more than $50 million.
• Fondly known as the “World’s Greatest College Weekend,” the men’s and women’s Little 500 bicycle races in late April at Indiana University raise money for student scholarships.

Noteworthy Features:

• Indiana University Bloomington’s 12 undergraduate colleges include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture, and Design, the Kelley School of Business, the School of Education, the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, the Media School, the Jacobs School of Music, the School of Nursing, the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the School of Public Health – Bloomington, and the School of Social Work.
• All undergraduates at Indiana University Bloomington have to take general education classes in the following disciplines: English Composition, Mathematical Modeling, Arts and Humanities, Social and Historical Studies, Natural and Mathematical Sciences, and World Languages and Cultures.
• The university has recently introduced emerging and niche majors such as Organizational and Business Psychology, Environmental Geoscience, and Counseling and Student services.

Admissions Profile

Average GPA: 3.76

Test Scores (mid-50% range): 1180-1390 SAT / ACT

Admit Rate: 82.4%

Test-optional? Yes

Offers Early Admissions? Yes—Early Action

Supplemental Essays

Indiana University Bloomington does not have a supplemental essay.