Honors College Surpasses Milestones with Historic Growth and Achievement

Through intentional planning and expanded opportunities, Ball State University’s Honors College has seen remarkable growth in recent years. By emphasizing small seminar-based classes, unique co-curricular opportunities, and a strong sense of community, the college has attracted more students than ever before. In Fall 2024, it welcomed 618 freshmen—nearly double the 330 new students five years ago.

This year’s Honors College class also represents the largest and most diverse group in the 65-year history of honors education at the University—and one of the most academically accomplished, with a median high school GPA of 4.06, Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns shared during his 2024 Fall Convocation address.

Dr. James Buss, dean of Honors College, shared what he believes spurred the enrollment growth.

“The Honors College has had tremendous success this past year in articulating a vision for student-directed, seminar-based education that has resonated with the current generation of students,” Dr. Buss said. “Honors courses create the feel of a small college environment within the incredible resources of a larger research university.

“With the generous support of donors and nearly half a century of Honors College alumni, current and future honors students can take advantage of specialized curricular and co-curricular opportunities that are often unavailable at other places,” Dr. Buss continued.

Among those opportunities are unique study-abroad programs, field study in Washington, D.C., paid fellowships, and chances for students to present and publish their work. Students can also become part of the college’s close-knit community while remaining part of Ball State’s broader campus community.

“I believe that the totality of these experiences helps students see the enormous value of honors education at Ball State,” Dr. Buss added.

Additional classrooms and offices will be constructed at the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Honors House to accommodate the recent enrollment growth, thanks to the generous support from alumni and friends of the University and Honors College.

Ball Honors House, formerly the residence of Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball, was completed in 1932 and renovated in 2009. Edmund F. Ball was a Muncie industrialist and son of one of the five Ball brothers who founded Ball State University in 1918. Virginia B. Ball was a philanthropist and supporter of education, the environment, and the arts and humanities.