Ball State University - Campus Life - Student Housing

Student Housing

The University currently operates ten residence complexes that house nearly 7,000 students. Ball State's freshman residence hall program is listed as one of the best in the nation by the "Unofficial, Unbiased Insider's Guide to the Most Interesting Colleges."

By far the largest housing complex is LaFollette Complex, which houses over 1,900 students. This co-ed facility, completed in 1967, has four L-shaped, eight-story units, and a ten story tower in the center that houses mainly non-traditional and international students. Johnson Complex, on the north end of campus, is a modern complex consisting of one eight-story building and two four-story buildings. Johnson Complex, along with Schmidt and Wilson Halls, is the only one on campus to feature Z-shaped rooms.

In addition, Ball State has one all-female residence hall that houses approximately 600 students. The Woodworth Complex comprises four halls and also houses sorority suites. In the fall of 2007, a two-story dining facility and atrium attached to the complex re-opened after two years of renovations.

Of the current residence halls in operation, only one, Elliott Hall, has been in operation for most of the University's history. Constructed from 1937 to 1939, Elliott was formerly an all-male dormitory and, during World War II, housed cadets and recruits from joint programs operated by the Army and Air Force. Elliott Hall is named for Frank Elliott Ball, who died in an airplane crash while at Princeton. To commemorate and honor him, the hall is an exact replica of the one in which he lived while at Princeton. Today the hall is home to 120 co-ed students.

University Residence Halls

• DeHority Complex (Honors Halls)
  • Beeman/DeMotte and Tichenor/Trane Halls
• Elliott Hall (opened in 1938/1939)
• Johnson Complex
  • Johnson A (Botsford and Swinford Halls)
  • Johnson B (Schmidt and Wilson Halls)
• LaFollette Complex
  • Brayton/Clevenger, Knotts/Edwards, Mysch/Hurst, Woody/Shales, Shively halls

• Kinghorn Hall (designed to meet LEED certification standards)
• Noyer Complex
  • Howick/Williams and Baker/Klipple Halls
• Park Hall (designed to meet LEED certification standards)
• Studebaker Complex
  • Studebaker West (Palmer/Davidson and Painter/Whitcraft Hall)
  • Studebaker East (Menk/Hurlbut Halls)
• Woodworth Complex
  • Brady/Wood and Crosley/Rogers Halls
• Wagoner Complex (Houses Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities Students) (Burkhardt and Jeep Halls)

In addition to the residence halls, two apartment complexes operated by the University provide affordable homes for single students and students with families. Apartments are available in one- and two-bedroom styles, and townhouses are available in two- and three-bedroom styles. The apartments are located close to campus, shopping, restaurants, entertainment, and schools.

Two of Ball State's taller residence halls – Lafollette and Johnson B – have unusual elevator systems because the halls were early co-ed dorms. As such, their elevators serve only two floors: the first floor lobby and the sixth floor lobby, which duplicates the first floor almost exactly. This served to separate the male and female portions of the dormitory, as the stairs pass through lobby doors.