
Indiana University Southeast began in 1941 as an Indiana University extension center in Jeffersonville. It developed into a regional campus serving southern Indiana and moved to its present New Albany location in 1973.
Its history helps explain its role today: IU Southeast offers Indiana University degrees while focusing on students in the surrounding region, including commuters, transfer students, and adults returning to college. It is a distinct campus within the Indiana University system, not a division of IU Bloomington.
IU Southeast organizes its academic programs through schools covering arts and letters, business, education, natural sciences, nursing, and social sciences. Students can pursue undergraduate degrees across these fields, along with selected graduate programs.
Examples of undergraduate study include business, computer science, education, English, biology, psychology, criminal justice, and nursing. The campus also offers general education courses and advising that can matter particularly to students who have not settled on a major. Degree availability and admission rules vary by program: acceptance to the university does not necessarily mean immediate entry to a selective major such as nursing.
The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 14 to 1. That campus-wide figure describes enrollment relative to faculty; it does not predict the size of a particular lecture, laboratory, or online class.
IU Southeast is in New Albany, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. Its campus setting gives students access to a separate university campus while keeping them near the Louisville metropolitan area's employers, clinical sites, and cultural institutions.
Commuting is central to the campus experience: approximately 89% of students commute. First-year students may park a car on campus, but drivers should account for parking rules, travel time, and cross-river traffic when planning a schedule. Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is the principal nearby commercial airport.
IU Southeast's stated mission centers on accessible Indiana University education, student learning, and engagement with the southern Indiana region. As a public regional campus, it combines degree study with service to surrounding communities.
Those priorities describe the institution's intended role, not a guarantee of any individual outcome. Applicants comparing IU campuses should consider the programs, course formats, support services, and campus environment available specifically in New Albany.
Name of the institution
Indiana University-SoutheastLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999School type
Four-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1941Indiana University-Southeast is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degreeData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.