Quad

Head-to-head

Indiana University-Bloomington
U. Colorado Boulder

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Indiana University-Bloomington costs about $9.2K less per year on average than U. Colorado Boulder ($34,459 vs. $43,699, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    Indiana University-Bloomington graduates 7 pts more of its students than U. Colorado Boulder (81% vs. 74%)

    Graduation rate
  3. 3

    Indiana University-Bloomington's grants cover 18% of its full price on average, vs. 12% at U. Colorado Boulder

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    U. Colorado Boulder grads earn $6K more ten years out than Indiana University-Bloomington's ($69,738 vs. $63,742)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    U. Colorado Boulder's SAT midpoint is 50 points higher than Indiana University-Bloomington's

    SAT midpoint
  6. 6

    Indiana University-Bloomington's yield is 4 pts higher than U. Colorado Boulder's

    Yield rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

U. Colorado Boulder admits 78%, Indiana University-Bloomington 78%; Indiana University-Bloomington's yield is higher, at 18%.

Acceptance rate
Indiana University-Bloomington78%
U. Colorado Boulder78%
Quad's selectivity
  • Indiana University-BloomingtonSelective
  • U. Colorado BoulderSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1100–1600
Indiana University-Bloomington
1170–1400
U. Colorado Boulder
1240–1430
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Indiana University-BloomingtonGPA, school record, rank, and prep program required
  • U. Colorado BoulderGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Indiana University-Bloomington is a bit larger than U. Colorado Boulder (37,806 vs. 31,939 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Indiana University-Bloomington37.8K
U. Colorado Boulder31.9K
Pell Grant share
Indiana University-Bloomington17%
U. Colorado Boulder14%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at Indiana University-Bloomington, and Business Administration and Management at U. Colorado Boulder.

Students per faculty member
Indiana University-Bloomington18 to 1
U. Colorado Boulder19 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Indiana University-BloomingtonBusiness/Commerce, General33%
  • U. Colorado BoulderBusiness Administration and Management, General18%

What each costs

Indiana University-Bloomington costs about $9.2K less a year than U. Colorado Boulder on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Indiana University-Bloomington$34.5K
U. Colorado Boulder$43.7K
Aid generosity
Indiana University-Bloomington18%
U. Colorado Boulder12%

What each pays off

U. Colorado Boulder's former students earn more, a median $69.7K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Indiana University-Bloomington$63.7K
U. Colorado Boulder$69.7K
Graduation rate
Indiana University-Bloomington81%
U. Colorado Boulder74%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; U. Colorado Boulder got more selective while Indiana University-Bloomington held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Indiana University-BloomingtonGrowing+86%
  • U. Colorado BoulderGrowing+133%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why