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About Bloomington

About Bloomington

Bloomington is a remarkable place to live

Whether you are into nightlife, the arts, sports, good food, nature, or just want to live in a great community, Bloomington is known as one of the best college towns in the country.

Rand-McNally selected Bloomington as one of the eight most desirable places to live in the United States, based on economy, personal safety, climate, housing, services, and leisure activities. And it is affordable: Periodic surveys conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association have shown that the cost of living in Bloomington is consistently at or below the national average.

USA Today named Bloomington "one of the top ten places for rich campus culture."

Warm + Welcoming

Bloomington is distinguished by the people who live here, and by those who spend time here as part of the university. Home to a diverse and international community, it is marked by Midwestern charm, open-minded residents, and a peaceful, community-minded way of life.

Check out our exciting small city

Diversity, inclusion, + cultural resources

Indiana University is unwavering in its commitment to create safe and welcoming learning environments that advocate access, diversity, equity, inclusion, and community for all. Learn more about campus cultural centers and institutes through the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs.

Impressive + beautiful campus resources

Ours is one of the most beautifully landscaped and wooded campuses in America, marked by graceful limestone buildings. Cited as one of the five most beautiful campuses in the United States by Thomas A. Gaines in his book The Campus as a Work of Art, it includes wooded pathways and an arboretum.

The Indiana Memorial Union is one of the largest student unions in the country, with a hotel and conference facilities.

Besides the Herman B Wells full research library, the campus hosts a dozen satellite libraries, the Lilly Library rare books and manuscripts archive, and the archives of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.

The Eskenazi Museum of Art includes remarkable works by Picasso, Braque, Davis, Rembrandt, Monet, Pollock, Rivera, as well as stunning ancient and non-Western collections.

See our campus for yourself

The surrounding terrain

Bloomington is bordered by Yellowwood State Forest, Brown Country State Park, and Hoosier National Forest and is within a few miles’ drive of three lakes, one of which is the largest in Indiana. Together, these resources provide almost unlimited recreational opportunities for Bloomington residents.

Finally, if you have time for a weekend getaway, Bloomington is not far from Indianapolis, Louisville, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Chicago. An amenable haven for student life, it is surrounded by many exciting Midwestern cities.

Never before have I been to a place where it was so easy to make friends. At the university, on the bus, in a store. Bloomingtonians are warm and welcoming, and that, above all, makes life livable in this town. Bloomington was chosen as one of the top ten college towns in the U.S. for its rich mixture of atmospherics and academia.
Edward B. Fiske, former education editor of the New York Times

Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine

About Bloomington

Bloomington is a remarkable place to live

Warm + Welcoming

Diversity, inclusion, + cultural resources

Impressive + beautiful campus resources

The surrounding terrain

The College of Arts & Sciences