Ball State awards up to 30 credit hours to students who receive a full International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma and have earned grades of 5 or better in their three higher-level exams.

Students who have not earned a full diploma may receive credit by earning the required score in a specific subject. Send us your official transcript to earn credit.

View Courses, Required Scores, and Credits (PDF)

Earn college credit while in high school. Graduate prepared and confident for college-level academics—and with a few credits under your belt.

We accept dual credit taken at your high school, online, or through another accredited institution if you pass the course with a grade of C or better.

To learn how your credits might transfer, use the Core Transfer Library.

Once available, you'll need to send in your official transcript(s) from the institution(s) you earned dual credit from. Please submit through the institution's electronic submission service or mail an official copy directly to the Office of Admissions. You cannot receive credit without this transcript. It’s encouraged to have your transcript sent to the Office of Admissions prior to your Orientation.

Learn More about BALL STATE'S Dual CrediT PROGRAM

If you register for courses at a community college before your high school graduation date, you will maintain your status as a Freshman at Ball State. You must provide documentation showing the registration date of these classes.

If you register for college courses at a community college after your high school graduation date, you will be considered a transfer student. You may lose your status as an incoming freshman, even if you withdrew from the courses. This may impact your scholarship awards.

You must not complete more than six credit hours from a community college after your high school graduation date, and you must not attend more than one term at a community college.

Contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions if you have questions.

Have you taken college-level courses while in military service? You may be eligible to receive credit if your official military reports of educational achievement indicate attainment of college-level equivalency.

We award credit according to the guidelines of the Office of Educational Credit (OEC) of the American Council on Education.

Contact Jennifer Lawson for information on having military credit evaluated.

Learn More about Military Service Credit

You may take a departmental examination before you enroll or while you are attending Ball State.

Credit will be granted if your score meets departmental standards, but it cannot be awarded if you have been or are currently enrolled in that course for credit or audit.

You may not repeat a departmental examination for credit for one year.

Obtain an Application and Certification for Credit by Departmental Examination, Authorization, and Related Field Experience from the appropriate department. A $30 fee may apply.

You may take a departmental examination before you enroll or while you are attending Ball State. All Foundation, Tier 1, and Tier 2 courses in the core curriculum are available for credit by examination.

Please contact the appropriate department for questions on obtaining credit by Department Exam.

Did you take a Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Latin, or Spanish in high school? Foreign language placement exams are free of charge. Once you've confirmed your enrollment, you will receive information in your orientation invitation on how to take them. Plan to take the foreign language placement exam if you’re considering the following majors:

  • foreign language major or minor
  • elementary education major (only if selecting the modern languages concentration)
  • English major
  • international business major or minor
  • political science major
  • telecommunications major or minor
  • voice major

Students with previous world language training can earn up to 14 free credits (dependent on their exam results) after successfully earning a grade of C or better in the course into which they are placed.

If you received AP, IB, or dual credit in a language, you should not take the world language placement exam.

Students with experience in American Sign Language may pursue testing options once they start their first semesters at Ball State.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT Placement tesTS

Ball State grants credit to currently enrolled undergraduate students who earn satisfactory scores on the subject exams of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

You will not be awarded CLEP credit if you have been or are presently enrolled for credit or audit in an accredited university course that covers the subject for which CLEP credit is offered, nor may you repeat a subject exam within three months.

Fees for each test are $80 payable to CLEP and $45 payable to Ball State University. Test costs are subject to change.

CLEP exams do not have to be completed at Ball State University. Find a testing center near you.

Contact the Office of Academic Advising for consideration and testing procedures.

Contact Academic Advising

CLEP Subject Examinations and Required Scores (PDF)