Public
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Indianapolis, Indiana
81.4% Acceptance Rate
Indiana University-Indianapolis — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
81.4%Acceptance Rate
3.52Avg GPA
1146Avg SAT
25Avg ACT
$22,216Annual Cost
$55,198Grad Salary
36.3%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
81.4%
Avg GPA
3.52
Avg SAT
1146
Avg ACT
25
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
1040–1230
ACT Middle 50%
21–28
Avg Net Price
$11,408
Need-Based Aid
36.3% receive Pell
Indiana University-Indianapolis is a comprehensive, urban research university known for its commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community engagement. Offering a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, the university fosters a dynamic campus environment that encourages research, leadership, and professional development. Its focus on providing a high-value, well-rounded education makes it a premier choice for students seeking a degree that prepares them for success.
Indiana University-Indianapolis Acceptance Rate
Admission at Indiana University-Indianapolis is inclusive by design. 81.4% of applicants who meet basic eligibility are accepted.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 81.4% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.52 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.32 – 3.51
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.07
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Indiana University-Indianapolis Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Mark November 1 for Indiana University-Indianapolis (Priority — other plans are listed below).
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 83 days left — Priority
Priority
November 1
Regular
February 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (November 1, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
IUPUI GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at IUPUI is 3.52. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.22 and 3.52? A strong standardized test score is worth prioritizing.
Note the scale: this figure reflects an unweighted 4.0 GPA. Add AP or IB coursework and the equivalent weighted GPA usually lands around 3.72–3.92.IUPUI GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective, with solid academic performance as the expectation.
Recommended Strategy: A clear, defined strength in one activity or research area matters more than breadth.
This range is a rough map. Where you land determines what else needs to carry weight in your application.:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.52 – 4.00
Target/Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.32 – 3.51
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.12 – 3.31
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.11
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Acceptance rate 76.37% (IPEDS 2024-25: 15,643 applicants, 11,947 admitted); no essay required; no letters of recommendation required; test-optional (median SAT 1130, median ACT 25); regular deadline July 1; scholarship consideration rolling with early application recommended; $35 application fee; Apply IU or Common App; founded July 1, 2024 as IU Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI, est. 1969).
- Formerly IUPUI - split effective July 1, 2024: engineering, computer science, and technology programs now housed under Purdue University in Indianapolis (separate institution, same campus, separate admissions); confirm target program belongs to IU Indianapolis before applying.
- IU School of Medicine (largest medical school in the US, 2,000+ students); IU School of Dentistry (only dental school in Indiana); IU School of Nursing (nation's largest nursing school); IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (only school in the world dedicated to study of philanthropy); $629M+ in research funding (2024); 550+ degree programs.
- 536-acre campus on west edge of downtown Indianapolis; SciTech Corridor expansion underway ($120M state appropriation, new science building, doubling Luddy School enrollment); NCAA Division I Jaguars (Horizon League); IU Kelley School of Business Indianapolis campus; IU McKinney School of Law; IU Herron School of Art and Design; IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: Course rigor is read alongside the number itself. A 3.8 with a demanding schedule can beat a 4.0 without one.
- Trajectory Matters: Grades that climb toward graduation tend to matter more than a flat average. The trajectory tells its own story.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at IUPUI
Admission Chance Predictor
Built from Indiana University-Indianapolis's own verified admissions data — adjust the sliders below
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Indiana University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) Test Requirements
Scores aren't just a formality at IUPUI. Landing within or above the 2026 admitted class's middle 50% keeps you fully competitive, even where submission is optional.
Can I Get Into IUPUI Without SAT or ACT?
IUPUI considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Indiana University-Indianapolis Average SAT Score: 1146
Admitted students at Indiana University-Indianapolis average a 1146 SAT (out of 1600).
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1146 — Less Competitive
A 1146 average leaves meaningful room above it for a competitive application.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1230 SAT or 28 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Indiana University-Indianapolis allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
Scored under 1040? A retake is worth it at IUPUI. Two or three sittings is standard for competitive applicants, and there's no cap on how many times you can test.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 565 | 520 | 610 |
| SAT Reading | 570 | 520 | 620 |
| SAT Composite | 1146 | 1040 | 1230 |
A score under 1040 puts you in the lower quarter of admits; 1230+ puts you ahead of three-quarters of the admitted class. (These percentiles mark where a given share of the admitted class scored at or below.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1150
Can I get into Indiana University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) with a 1250 SAT?
At 1250, your SAT is squarely in IUPUI's favor. That said, admissions staff read the full file. GPA, activities, and essays still carry real weight even with a strong score in hand.
Indiana University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) ACT Requirements
IUPUI's admitted students average an ACT of 25.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 25 — Slightly Competitive
An average of 25 tracks near the middle of the national distribution.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 24 | 20 | 27 |
| ACT English | 24 | 20 | 28 |
| ACT Composite | 25 | 21 | 28 |
Can I get into Indiana University-Indianapolis with a 28 ACT?
At 28, you're in the top quarter of IUPUI's admitted class by ACT score. That's a real advantage, but admissions still reads GPA, essays, and activities alongside it.
The ACT's four sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, are each scored independently on a 1–36 scale, and admissions staff do notice a lopsided breakdown. If one section trails the others significantly, that's worth addressing before you apply, particularly for STEM programs where Science carries extra weight.
Beyond the number itself, IUPUI weighs your transcript rigor, activities, recommendations, and essays just as heavily. The ACT opens the door, and the rest of your file decides what happens next.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for IUPUI
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Getting into IUPUI isn't the hard part. Building a solid academic foundation and securing aid early is where the real strategy lives.
This Is No Longer IUPUI - Know the New Structure Before You Apply
Effective July 1, 2024, Indiana University?Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) officially split into two independent institutions: Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Indy) and Purdue University in Indianapolis (Purdue Indy). UNITID 151111 now maps exclusively to Indiana University Indianapolis. Any College Portal content, acceptance rate, or program listing that still uses the name "IUPUI" is referencing an institution that no longer exists under that name. Students applying to IU Indy apply through the Apply IU portal or the Common App. Students interested in engineering, computer science, or technology programs should understand those are now housed under Purdue University in Indianapolis - a separate institution on the same campus - and require a separate application to Purdue. Before advising any student, confirm which programs they intend to pursue and which institution those programs now belong to.
The Health Sciences Infrastructure Here Is Unlike Any Other Urban Campus
IU Indianapolis hosts the largest medical school in the United States (IU School of Medicine, 2,000+ students), the only dental school in Indiana (IU School of Dentistry), and the nation's largest nursing school (IU School of Nursing, which has campuses across Indiana but is headquartered here). The IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy - the only school in the world dedicated entirely to the academic study of philanthropic practice - is also at IU Indianapolis. For undergraduate students in pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, nursing, and health professions, being embedded in a campus where the health sciences graduate and professional programs are physically present means research access, clinical shadowing, and faculty networking that suburban or rural pre-health students must manufacture through relationship-building alone. This proximity is a genuine competitive advantage in medical school application cycles.
Apply Early for Scholarship Consideration - The Rolling Window Is Real
IU Indianapolis has a regular deadline of July 1, but merit scholarship consideration is rolling and strongly front-loaded toward early applicants. No essay is required and no letters of recommendation are required - the application is your transcript and your test scores if you submit them (test-optional). That simplicity means the only way to differentiate your application is to submit it early, complete, with your highest GPA represented accurately. The institution is also expanding aggressively: the SciTech Corridor at Michigan and West Streets, funded by a $120 million state appropriation, is adding new science buildings and doubling Luddy School enrollment in Indianapolis. The campus students enroll in today will be physically and academically larger within four years.
Use the Downtown Indianapolis Location Strategically From Day One
IU Indianapolis's 536-acre campus sits on the west edge of downtown Indianapolis, adjacent to the White River and Fall Creek, and within walking distance of state government buildings, the Indiana Convention Center, major hospital systems (IU Health, Eskenazi Health), and one of the fastest-growing mid-size city economies in the Midwest. Indianapolis was one of a small number of major US cities without an R1 research university on its doorstep before this realignment - and the city's business and civic community is actively investing in this institution as a result. Students in public policy, nursing, business, informatics, social work, philanthropy studies, and health administration who build professional relationships in Indianapolis during their undergraduate years graduate into a labor market that is actively recruiting from their campus.
Expert Insight:
The July 1, 2024 IUPUI split created a structurally confusing campus situation for prospective students: IU Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis operate on the same 536-acre campus, in adjacent and sometimes shared buildings, under two separate institutional identities and two separate admissions processes. Students sometimes apply to one institution intending to pursue a program now housed in the other. Engineering, computer science, and technology programs - including those previously under IUPUI's School of Engineering - are now Purdue University in Indianapolis programs. Students receive Purdue West Lafayette degrees for those programs. IU Indianapolis no longer awards degrees in those fields. Confirm every program you intend to pursue is offered by IU Indianapolis (not Purdue Indy) before submitting your application.
IUPUI Profile
Full Name
Indiana University-Indianapolis (IUPUI)
City
Indianapolis
State
Indiana
ZIP Code
46202-5143
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a IUPUI Degree Worth It?
Whether IUPUI is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
Admitted students' families report a median household income around $64,700, and graduates see a 2.9% unemployment rate.
How much does a degree from IUPUI Cost?
Listed tuition runs $22,216/year at IUPUI. Factor in Pell and federal grant aid, and most students land closer to $11,408.
At IUPUI, 36.3% receive a Pell Grant and 35.3% carry federal loans. Filing FAFSA early and naming IUPUI on it improves your shot at both.
How much does a IUPUI Graduate earn?
Ten years out from enrollment, IUPUI graduates report a median income of $55,198, about 36% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Indiana University-Indianapolis. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, AL | 1119 | 23 |
| Tuskegee University | Tuskegee, AL | 1121 | 22 |
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, AR | 1119 | 22 |
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | 1117 | 22 |
| University of La Verne | La Verne, CA | 1116 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | Denver, CO | 1119 | 24 |
| Western Colorado University | Gunnison, CO | 1130 | 25 |
| University of Saint Joseph | West Hartford, CT | 1100 | NA |
| Lynn University | Boca Raton, FL | 1136 | 25 |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | Tallahassee, FL | 1100 | 22 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Indiana University-Indianapolis. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, AL | 1148 | 23 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA | 1155 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 1140 | 25 |
| Lynn University | Boca Raton, FL | 1136 | 25 |
| Florida International University | Miami, FL | 1154 | 23 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Indiana University-Indianapolis. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
Degree Programs at IUPUI
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About IUPUI Admissions
Indiana University-Indianapolis graduates earn a moderate median salary of $55,198/year, with some variation by field.
Tuition at Indiana University-Indianapolis is relatively affordable, around $22,216/year.
36.3% of Indiana University-Indianapolis students get a Pell Grant. Your odds depend mostly on household income, and filing FAFSA early still helps maximize what you're offered.
Indiana University-Indianapolis's acceptance rate is 81.4%, comparatively higher than most selective universities. Admission is more attainable here.
The average GPA of admitted Indiana University-Indianapolis students is 3.52, reflecting a competitive applicant pool.
There's no strict cutoff, but a GPA at or above 3.22 puts you in the standard applicant pool at Indiana University-Indianapolis. Below that, your essays and recommendations need to work harder to provide context.
A GPA of 3.12 or below makes admission tougher at Indiana University-Indianapolis, but strong test scores, activities, and essays, plus AP/IB coursework, can still keep you in contention.
Indiana University-Indianapolis weighs the SAT heavily. Scoring above 1146, and within the 1040–1230 range, keeps you competitive.
Indiana University-Indianapolis's deadline is November 1 (Priority).
Indiana University-Indianapolis charges an application fee of 65; ask admissions about waiver eligibility if cost is a barrier.
For priority financial aid consideration, get your FAFSA in before November 1, 2026. That's Indiana University-Indianapolis's scholarship priority date.
Transferring in is a well-trodden path here. Line up your transcripts, recommendations, and a strong personal statement before applying.
The biggest levers are academic performance, a clear extracurricular focus, and essays that stand out, plus a solid test score where the school considers one.