Indiana University Bloomington student guide: cost, food, housing & tips

IU at a glance

37,806

undergrads

78%

of applicants admitted

91%

come back for year 2

81%

graduate

18 : 1

students per teacher

$70,105

typical pay 10 years in

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard.

What a year really costs

After grants and scholarships, by family income. Average: $16,003.

Under $30k $6,683

$30k–$48k $6,890

$48k–$75k $10,091

$75k–$110k $18,227

Over $110k $27,092

Tuition, in state

$12,144

Tuition, out of state

$42,295

Typical debt at graduation

$19,000

20% of students get a Pell Grant

Free stuff most students miss

Academics & admin

Math Learning Center (MLC)

Free walk-in math tutoring from the Department of Mathematics, no appointment.

Getting around

IU Campus Bus Service

Free campus bus routes serving all areas of IU Bloomington, College Mall, and connections to Bloomington Transit.

Health & safety

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Free confidential counseling, crisis support, and mental health services on the fourth floor of the Student Health Center.

Housing

Student Legal Services

Free, confidential legal advice for IU Bloomington students since 1971, already paid for out of your student activity fee (about $9 a student)…

Eat

Dining halls, quick bites and coffee on campus.

18 places

Collins Eatery

Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat eatery in Edmondson Hall (Collins Living-Learning Center) and one of only two IU dining spaces with carryout.

Edmondson Hall, 541 N. Woodlawn Avenue

Forest Dining Hall

Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining hall in Forest Quadrangle (dine-in only).

Forest Quadrangle, 1725 E. 3rd Street

Wright Dining Hall

Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining hall in Wright Quadrangle (dine-in only).

Wright Quadrangle, 501 N Eagleson Ave

McNutt Dining Hall

Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining hall in McNutt Quadrangle (dine-in only).

McNutt Quadrangle, 1101 N Fee Ln

Goodbody Hall Eatery

Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat eatery in Goodbody Hall, and one of only two IU dining spaces (with Collins Eatery) where you can take your meal to go.

Goodbody Hall, 1011 E. 3rd Street

Campus cafe

Ballantine Cafe

Campus cafe

IU Dining coffee stop inside Ballantine Hall: hot or cold coffee, seasonal specialty drinks and freshly baked pastries.

Ballantine Hall, 1020 E. Kirkwood Avenue

Where to live

Residence halls, apartments and help finding a place.

6 places

Central Neighborhood

Residence hall

Campus-center housing near Wells Library and the Rec Center, featuring Teter, Wright, Eigenmann, Ashton, and Collins halls.

501 N Eagleson Ave

Northwest Neighborhood

Residence hall

Housing near Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall, featuring Briscoe, Foster, McNutt, and Walnut Grove with on-site dining.

1101 N Fee Lane

Southeast Neighborhood

Residence hall

Housing near the Jacobs School of Music and IU Auditorium, featuring Forest, Wells, Read, Spruce, and Willkie halls.

1725 E 3rd St

Northeast Neighborhood

Residence hall

Apartment-style housing for upperclassmen and graduate students at Campus View and Tulip Tree with unfurnished units.

2451 E 10th St

Student Legal Services

Housing services

Free, confidential legal advice for IU Bloomington students since 1971, already paid for out of your student activity fee (about $9 a student)…

310/312 N. Park Ave.

Off-Campus Living

Off campus housing

IU's guide to renting in Bloomington. The big things to know before you sign: a lease is a binding contract and Bloomington leases are almost always…

Get around

Shuttles, parking and accessible rides.

6 ways

IU Campus Bus Service

Transit

Free campus bus routes serving all areas of IU Bloomington, College Mall, and connections to Bloomington Transit.

120 W Grimes Ln

IU Bicycling & Bike Hub

Biking

Free bike registration, the Ballantine Bike Hub with secure racks, repair stations, and cycling resources on a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly campus.

811 E 7th St

IU Ride

Transit

Free safe rides home at night for IU students and employees, anywhere within Bloomington city limits. IU Ride runs 7:30 p.m.

IU Parking Garages

Parking

IU runs five parking garages on the Bloomington campus. Parking in them is free from 6 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m.

Bloomington Transit

Transit

City-wide public bus system with fixed routes and paratransit service connecting IU campus to greater Bloomington.

130 W Grimes Ln

IU Parking Operations

Parking

Manages campus parking permits, garages, and visitor parking from the Henderson Parking Garage office.

310 S Fess Ave

Majors that pay most at IU

Typical pay 4 years after graduating. Top 6 of 44 bachelor's majors with published pay.

Computer Science $114,199

Business/Commerce $105,583

Economics $99,653

Computer Science $98,539

Mathematics $89,112

Nursing $81,781

Source: College Scorecard, field-of-study data.

Your IU checklist

5 things worth doing early

Save campus police in your phone (812) 855-4111, 24/7.
Get a parking permit or skip it and ride the free bus.
Visit Career Exploration & Student Employment early, not the week of the career fair.
Find the Crimson Cupboard Free food, for when money runs short.
File next year's FAFSA Opens October 1. Questions: (812) 855-6500.

When you need help

IU Police Department (812) 855-4111 Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) (812) 855-5711 IU Student Health Center (812) 855-4011 Student Central (812) 855-6500

5 things IU freshmen figure out too late

Watch the video

1 Winter session classes are already paid for
IU Bloomington charges one flat rate for the year: "At IU Bloomington, you'll pay a flat fee for tuition. This means you will be able to take advantage of 40 credit hours across fall, spring, and our intersessions—for the same cost." The intersessions are the August session before fall and the winter session over break: "The flat-rate tuition costs noted above include the academic year (fall and spring semesters) and both the August and winter intersessions. Summer classes charge per credit hour." 2026-27 flat-rate tuition is $12,142 for Indiana residents and $42,702 for non-residents. If you are taking 15 and 15, you have room for a winter class that costs you nothing extra — and gets you ahead.
IU Bloomington — Cost of attendance for undergraduates
2 Skip a language level and IU gives you the credits you skipped
Take the placement test, place into a higher course, pass it, and IU will award "special credit" for the level below. Spanish and Portuguese: "If you test into S250 and complete this course with a C or better, you can claim special credit for S200." "If you test into S280 and complete it with a C or better, you can claim special credit for S200 and S250." The rules: "Special credit can be awarded for up to two semesters of second-year study (the third and fourth semesters)", the validating course "must be the first course in that language taken by the student at IUB", and a C- or below earns nothing. It is not automatic — you apply after the grade posts, and processing takes 4 to 6 weeks. Other language departments run the same policy.
Spanish & Portuguese — language placement and special credit
3 21st Century Scholars: 12 credits a term is not enough
Twelve credits makes you full time — "You must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits to be full time and in order for your financial aid to process." But keeping the scholarship takes more: "you must complete a total of 30 credit hours between Fall and Spring semesters." Twelve and twelve is 24. You also "must successfully complete at least 67% of all the credit hours you attempted" and "complete the FAFSA by April 15th every year." Plan on 15 a term, and talk to the 21st Century Scholars office before you drop anything.
Advising & Major Exploration Services — critical registration notes 21st Century Scholars Program at IU Bloomington
4 Classes still start in October
IU runs second 8-week courses inside every fall term. Fall 2026: the 2nd 8-Week session runs Monday, October 19 to Friday, December 18, and you add them through eAdd. That matters because the full-term Automatic W runs to Sunday, October 25. If a class is sinking you, you can drop it with a W — which "does not factor into your GPA" — and add a second 8-week course to stay at 12 credits for full-time status and aid. One trap from the College: "Be careful with eAdd/eDrop course swaps. If your eAdd is not approved, your drop will also be denied."
Registrar — IUB Official Academic Calendar (Fall 2026) College of Arts + Sciences — Auto-W policy
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One more thing

Skip first-year composition with a 4 or 5 in AP English

An SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 710 or higher, an ACT English score of 32 or higher, or an AP English score of 4 or 5 exempts you from the GenEd English Composition requirement.

Advising & Major Exploration Services — critical registration notes