Indiana University at Bloomington

A Guide to Indiana's Hoosier School

Aug 21, 2007 Naomi Rockler-Gladen

if you're looking for a surprisingly cosmopolitan university in the beautiful rural setting, check out Indiana University at Bloomington.

Where is Indiana University? IU is located in Bloomington, Indiana (population 70,000) in southern Indiana. Considering its rural location, Bloomington is a surprisingly cosmopolitan town with lots of theatre and other cultural events. There's an eclectic downtown area near campus with funky shops and ethnic restaurants, including one that's owned by the cousin of the Dalai Lama. Southern Indiana is hilly and loaded with trees, and the fall foliage is breathtaking.

What basic information should I know about IU

• Enrollment: About 40,000 undergraduates and graduate students
• Type of school: State university
• Student/Faculty Ration: 18:1
• In-state tuition:$5,507 annually. With room, board, and fees, about $12,500.
• Out-of-state tuition: $18,989 annually. With room, board, and fees, about $26,000.

What's life at IU like?

• IU is big--really big-- so expect the lecture hall experience and the occasional feeling that you're a number. Parking is kind of a nightmare, but there's a great campus and town bus system (free for students) that will make your life easier.
• IU has a reputation for being very liberal, which is pretty surprising for a school in the southern Indiana! There's plenty of campus activism. However, there are also many conservative students on campus that reflect the state's right wing leanings. In general, the campus is pretty political, so expect lots of interesting discussions in your classes.
• IU has a serious party school reputation-- but it's also an excellent academic institution. There's a huge Greek system and definitely an abundance of alcohol on campus. However, if you're not into that--or not into that all the time--there are more than their share of seriously smart and studious Hoosiers on campus. Basically, the school is so big that you'll find something for everyone.
• As you might already know, sports is huge, especially basketball! People take great pride in their Hoosier teams. Stop by the student rec center to watch the amazing diving team practice.
• As far as diversity goes, there's some racial diversity, but not an abundance. However, there are lots of international students. In addition, there are a surprising number of Jewish students on campus, many from the East Coast, and a very active Hillel. Moreover, IU was recently named one of the 20 most gay friendly college campuses in the United States.

What areas of study is IU best known for? IU is best known for its liberal arts, but also offers outstanding science and technical majors. The music school is world famous, so if you choose IU, be sure to take the time to see a campus symphony or concert. There's also an outstanding School of Law and School of Optometry.

What's special about IU?

• The campus is gorgeous, with woods and a creek that runs through campus, along with stately old buildings. Fall at IU is a beautiful thing.
• The student center, known as the The Indiana Memorial Union, is huge and architecturally impressive. It houses a hotel, a bank, a bookstore, lots of places to grab a bite to eat, and beautiful spaces to study.
• IU is famous for housing the research of Albert Kinsey, who wrote several controversial and revolutionary books about sexuality in the 1950s. The Kinsey Institute is still on campus.

See also: Narrowing your college choices

The copyright of the article Indiana University at Bloomington in Colleges is owned by Naomi Rockler-Gladen. Permission to republish Indiana University at Bloomington in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The historic Student Building at IU

The historic Sample Gates