Butler University: Rankings, Courses, Admissions, Tuition Fee, Cost of Attendance & Scholarships

Popular Courses and Butler University Fees 2027

Butler University charges graduate tuition per credit hour, with programme totals varying by credit load and school. Master’s programmes typically span 30 to 40 credit hours and total between USD 17,400 and USD 39,000. Undergraduate tuition is charged per full-time semester at USD 25,430, roughly USD 50,860 per academic year.

The Lacy MBA runs 40 credit hours at USD 975 per hour. LAS and JCA masters bill at USD 705 per credit hour; strategic communication, sports management and business analytics at USD 850; education administration at USD 580.

Undergraduate tuition is uniform across most colleges at USD 50,860 per year, with Pharmacy P1-P3 slightly higher at USD 53,490 and the accelerated Founder’s College path at USD 17,000 per year.

Insider note: Indian applicants concentrate around the Lacy School (MBA, Business Analytics), the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MS Pharma Sciences, PharmD) and the College of Communication (Strategic Communication). These three schools also carry the strongest Butler career-services links.

Read More: Butler University Programs and Fees Guide

Butler University Admission 2027

Butler University admission runs on rolling cycles, with two annual intakes for Indian applicants. Fall (August) is the primary intake for both undergraduate and MBA cohorts, while Spring (January) admits a smaller cohort into masters and MBA. Indian applicants can also review the study MBA in the USA guide before submission.

Planning note: Butler’s Common App portal opens August 1 each year. Indian applicants targeting Fall 2027 with Early Action gain a six-month lead on scholarship review. WES evaluation from Mumbai or Delhi typically takes 20 to 30 working days.

Read More: Butler University Admissions Guide for Indian Students

Butler University Admission Requirements for Indian Applicants 2027

Butler University admission requirements for Indian applicants combine academic transcripts, English proficiency proof and demonstrated funds. Test-optional policies apply to SAT and ACT for undergraduates.

Postgraduate (masters and MBA):

• Bachelor’s degree with 55% or CGPA 5.5 out of 10 minimum (recommended for most programmes; 60% for Pharmacy)
• English proficiency: TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS Academic 6.0, Duolingo English Test 100, or PTE Academic 53
• Credential evaluation from WES or ECE for Indian transcripts, submitted before the deadline
• GMAT or GRE: not mandated for the Butler MBA; waived based on academic record and work experience

Undergraduate:

• Class 12 with 70% to 85% (recommended); competitive scholarship applicants aim for 85% plus
• English proficiency: TOEFL iBT 79, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 100 or PTE 53
• SAT (500+ in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) or IB (5-7 or A/B on HL English) accepted in lieu of TOEFL/IELTS

Key insight: Butler accepts SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing of 500 or higher as a valid English-proficiency substitute. Indian CBSE and ISC applicants scoring 90% plus in Class 12 English can request a waiver review directly with their admission counsellor.

Butler University Acceptance Rate 2027

Butler University’s most recent official acceptance rate is 85% for Fall 2025, published in US News Best Colleges 2026. This places Butler in the moderately selective band, well above the sub-30% cutoffs at Ivy League and top-15 US News peers.

Butler admits students holistically, weighing Class 12 or bachelor’s transcripts, essays, references and English scores. Indian applicants with a strong academic file and Class 12 above 80% are typically competitive.

The high headline rate should not be read as an easy admit. Butler expects tight-fitting personal essays, evidence of extracurricular depth and clear funding proof.

Reality check: An 85% acceptance rate reflects a self-selected pool. Most applicants to Butler already meet the academic and English thresholds before applying. Weak essays and thin funding proof remain the two most common Indian-applicant rejections at this admit rate.

Read More: Butler University Acceptance Rate Analysis

Butler University Fees and Cost of Living for Indian Students 2027

The total annual cost for an Indian student at Butler University ranges from USD 68,000 to USD 78,000 (INR 64.26 lakh to INR 73.71 lakh), combining tuition, fees, room, board and personal costs.Indian applicants can compare Butler with peer MS universities in USA for like-for-like tuition benchmarking.

Butler University Tuition Fees for Indian Students 2027

Undergraduate tuition is a single all-college figure. Graduate tuition scales with credit hour and school.

Monthly Cost of Living in Indianapolis for Indian Students

Indianapolis sits well below Boston, New York and Chicago on the US cost curve. Butler’s on-campus double room plus mid-tier meal plan is the standard first-year setup.

Insider note: Off-campus one-bedrooms near Butler run USD 900 to USD 1,200 per month, and shared apartments drop the accommodation line by 30 to 40%. Indian students starting off-campus from Year 2 typically save USD 4,000 to USD 6,000 per year.

Read More: Cost of Living in USA for Indian Students

Butler University Campus, Facilities and Student Life

Butler University sits on a 301-acre residential campus five miles from downtown Indianapolis, the 16th-largest US city. The campus mixes historic red-brick academic buildings with modern athletic and performing-arts venues.

• Location and transport: Indianapolis International Airport lies 20 minutes from campus; downtown is reachable via the IndyGo bus in 15 minutes
• Housing: Butler guarantees on-campus housing for all four undergraduate years; double rooms cost USD 4,115 to USD 5,080 per semester
• Notable facilities: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Clowes Memorial Hall, the Schrott Center for the Arts and a dedicated pharmacy simulation lab
• Indian community: The Indian Students Association hosts Diwali, Holi and cricket league events; Broad Ripple neighbourhood has three Indian grocery stores
• Career services: Butler Career Studio runs 1-on-1 sessions and connects students to 300-plus employer partners in the Indianapolis corridor

What Indian students say: Small class sizes translate into direct faculty access from Week 1. The Indianapolis winter is cold from December to February and demands proper cold-weather gear. Butler Bulldogs basketball games at Hinkle Fieldhouse are treated as a cultural rite of passage.

Butler University Scholarships 2027

Butler University offers five confirmed institutional scholarships for which Indian applicants are eligible. None are India-specific, but international students receive full consideration for all Butler Gift Programs except the Butler Tuition Guarantee and the Butler University Grant.

Planning note: Applying by the November 1 Early Action deadline is the single largest lever for maximising the Academic Scholarship award. Indian applicants with Class 12 above 90% and a strong essay routinely receive the USD 30,000 to USD 34,000 tier, offsetting roughly 60% of tuition.

Read More: Butler University Scholarships Guide

Butler University Rankings 2027

Butler University’s strongest ranking is US News Best Colleges, where it has held #1 Regional Universities Midwest for eight consecutive editions through 2026. Butler is not evaluated in QS World or THE World, which focus on research-intensive doctoral universities.

Butler’s #38 finish for Pharmacology globally under US News is the standout research ranking. The Doctor of Pharmacy programme feeds this outcome and is the most cited subject strength for Indian applicants.

Key insight: US News Regional Universities is a distinct list from US News National Universities. For Indian F-1 visa officers and Indian employers, the Regional #1 tag reads as "top-of-tier private university in the US Midwest," not as a top-30 national research university.

Read More: Butler University Rankings Analysis

Butler University Placements and Career Outcomes 2027

Butler University reports strong post-graduation outcomes across its six colleges, with the Lacy School of Business and the College of Pharmacy driving the highest-visibility placements. Indian graduates most often route into US healthcare, consulting and analytics roles before OPT extension.

• Overall employment or graduate school within 6 months: 98% (institutional data)
• MBA median starting salary: USD 55,000 to 75,000 (market range for Butler MBA graduates, estimated)
• Top hiring sectors: Pharmaceuticals, insurance, consumer goods, banking, sports management
• Representative Indianapolis-area employers: Eli Lilly, Anthem, Salesforce, Roche Diagnostics, Cummins
• Career support: Butler Career Studio, on-campus recruiting, alumni mentoring, and 12-month OPT plus 24-month STEM extension pathway for eligible programmes; Indian applicants comparing outcomes may benchmark against MBA universities in USA

Insider note: Indianapolis is home to Eli Lilly’s global headquarters and a growing FinTech corridor. Indian students in the MBA and Pharmacy tracks convert internships into full-time OPT roles at roughly a 60% rate, well above the US private-regional average.

Butler University vs Peer Universities

Peers are selected from the US News Regional Universities Midwest top tier and comparable mid-sized private universities that Indian applicants commonly cross-shortlist with Butler.

Butler stands out on two axes among the Midwest privates: the eight-year lock on the #1 Regional Universities Midwest position and a Pharmacy programme that competes with much larger research universities. On tuition, Butler sits mid-pack against Creighton, Drake and Xavier, while undercutting Purdue on graduate list price.

Butler University is best for Indian applicants who value small-class teaching, an 11 to 1 student-faculty ratio and a private-university experience under USD 40,000 in graduate tuition. Total four-year undergraduate investment lands near USD 300,000 (INR 283.5 lakh), balanced against Butler MBA graduate outcomes in the USD 55,000 to 75,000 salary band and 12-month OPT plus STEM extension through the F-1 student visa.

Butler is not the right fit for applicants seeking a top-30 US National Universities brand or a deep PhD research pipeline. Indian applicants prioritising research prestige over teaching quality should compare against Purdue University or Indiana University Bloomington, both larger public research campuses in the same state.