Butler: the complete school report for parents

What does Butler actually weigh in admissions?

Butler rates 3 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, test scores. It does not consider 5 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Butler's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

63% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.84 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.92% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Butler admitted 49.4% of 506 transfer applicants, against 82.1% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.5.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Butler reports its early rounds below.

What does my child need to take in high school?

Butler requires 12 academic units and recommends 2. A college-preparatory program is required.

What will Butler actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $36,041 a year at Butler after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $50,860. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 71.7% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 513 merit awards averaging $28,187 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

51% of Butler graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $44,645 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $276 a month in repayment. Butler’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Butler pay off?

Graduates earn a median $77,235 ten years after entering, and $61,627 at six years. 89% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 85% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

$93,188 to $41,551, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Butler:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

85% of first-years return for a second year. 69% graduate within four years and 77% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 69.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 79.0% of everyone else, a gap of 10.0 points.

How big are the classes?

50% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 100% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Higher Learning Commission.

What is life at Butler like?

4,418 undergraduates, 41% of first-years from out of state. 86% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 66% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 25% of men join a fraternity and 31% of women a sorority. 13% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $71,968.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten. Butler recommends 2 academic units.
• 63% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.84. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Its highest-earning major returns $93,188 five years out against $41,551 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Butler

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