Social Work at Ball State University

Muncie, IN · Public · Bachelor's Degree

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $39,094/yr (7% vs median)

AI Risk Moderate (24% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (116,900 openings/yr)

ROI 10.9x earnings multiple (4.1x out-of-state)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Social Work graduates.

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$470K	$471K	$455K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	10.9x	10.9x	10.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	4.1x	4.1x	4.0x
Probability of Field Employment	70%	69%	58%
DegreeOutlook Score	44	43	52

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$43,032

Out-of-state: $115,064 (4.1x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$63,592

-48% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$21,500

6.6 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$45,042

15% growth from Year 1

A 72% acceptance rate means Ball State University is accessible to most applicants, with a mid-sized student body of 13,770 in Muncie, IN.

Social and community service managers $78,240/yr

Social work teachers, postsecondary $76,210/yr

Social workers, all other $69,480/yr

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

How does Ball State University's Social Work program score?

This program scores 43/100 — on the lower end for Social Work. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →