Overview
Established in 1970, Indiana University Columbus is located one hour south of Indianapolis. While Columbus has a population of only 50,000, it is ranked sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and design by the American Institute of Architects. Visitors will find more than 90 buildings and pieces of public art by internationally noted architects and artists, including I.M. Pei, Eliel Saarinen, Eero Saarinen, Richard Meier, Harry Weese, Dale Chihuly, and Henry Moore. Columbus is also home to the Indiana University Center for Art and Design, which opened in 2011.
Students and Faculty
IU Columbus primarily serves students who live in Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Ripley, Shelby, and other counties in southern Indiana.
For the Fall 2023 semester, IU Columbus served more than 939 undergraduate and graduate students. Many students complete their entire degree programs on the Columbus campus. Other students complete their first year or two at Columbus and then transfer to Indiana University Indianapolis or Indiana University's Bloomington campus to complete degree programs that are not currently offered on the Columbus campus.
- About 77 percent of undergraduate students carry a full-time academic load. In comparison, 61 percent of its graduate students carry part-time academic loads. At 83 percent, the majority of its undergraduate students are 24 years of age or younger, while 17 percent are 25 years of age or older. Of the graduate students at IU Columbus, 79 percent are 25 or older. Female students comprise 65 percent of the undergraduate population and 69 percent of the graduate student population.
- IU Columbus has 60 full-time faculty members, 21 of whom are tenured and 7 of whom are tenure-track, in addition to 61 part-time adjunct faculty. On average, these instructors teach 115 online/Zoom, 48 hybrid, and 172 on-campus courses in Columbus each fall and spring.
- IU Columbus works closely with its educational partner, Ivy Tech Community College of Columbus, to develop articulation agreements so that associate degree holders can apply their Ivy Tech credits toward an Indiana University bachelor’s degree.
The advantages of an IU Columbus education include: (1) a welcoming campus that is geographically convenient to where southern Indiana students live and work; (2) the ability to earn affordable, globally recognized IU degrees in Columbus; and (3) a cost-effective alternative to relocating and/or commuting to campuses in Bloomington, Indianapolis, or elsewhere.
Degree Programs
Currently, IU Columbus offers undergraduate degrees in Biology, Business, Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, Education, English, General Studies, Nursing, Psychology, and Sociology. IU Columbus also offers two graduate degree programs: the Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling.
Many students complete general education, elective, and some required courses and then transfer to IU Indianapolis to complete degrees that are not offered in their entirety on the Columbus campus. These students pursue a variety of academic majors and degrees, including Informatics, Computer Science, Physical Education, an array of Health Science disciplines, Public and Environmental Affairs, and many other fields. IU Columbus graduates also continue their educations and enroll in law, medicine, physical therapy, social work, and other graduate programs at IU Indianapolis and other campuses.
Regional focusIU Columbus has a long-standing tradition of partnering with key K-12, business, and civic leaders to develop responsive educational programs that are aligned with regional needs. IU Columbus received a substantial grant from Duke Energy in 2011, for example, to implement a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teaching and learning initiative for K-6 school districts throughout southern Indiana.
While many IU Columbus students begin their studies in Columbus and transfer to IU Indianapolis or other campuses to complete their degrees, data show that IU Columbus graduates have deep roots in south central and southeastern areas of the state. The majority of students have lived, worked, and raised families in southern Indiana for generations and continue to do so after they graduate.
