Amid the buzz of homecoming week, a tradition that welcomes alumni back to their alma mater, Indiana University announced Tuesday it now ranks No. 1 for the largest living alumni community in the country.
IU has over 805,000 alumni across all campuses and schools living in more than 165 countries, according to a Tuesday IU Today news release, and nearly half of them reside in Indiana. This makes up about 6% of Indiana’s population.
IU alumni hold careers in various fields, including business, healthcare, public service and the arts.
The university’s first class in 1825 had only 10 students. Four of those graduated in 1830, making them the first alumni of IU. 195 years later, nearly 19,000 students across all nine campuses graduated in spring 2024.
The Indiana University Alumni Association hosts professional networks, mentorship programs and other events that bring Hoosiers together.
Other universities with high alumni bases include Penn State University with 800,000 alumni, University of Michigan with around 695,000 and University of California, Los Angeles with over 660,000. Purdue University is also among the list of largest living alumni bases with over 600,000.
Who are some famous IU alumni?
- Entrepreneur Mark Cuban
- Author Suzanne Collins
- Former Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek
- Film producer Ryan Murphy
- Athlete Venus Williams
- Film producer Michael Uslan
- Grammy-winning musician Booker T. Jones
- Music engineer Laura Sisk
- Fromer Ireland President Michael Higgins
- LGBTQ+ activist and actress Laverne Cox
