Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
- Public
- City
- 25,367 undergrads
- Admit rate
- 89%Source: College Scorecard
- Average net price
- $18,517per year, after grantsSource: College Scorecard
- Graduation rate
- 76%within 6 yearsSource: College Scorecard
- Median earnings
- $67,56810 years after startingSource: College Scorecard
What's special
Iowa State has 79 learning communities, and 95% of first-year students joined one in fall 2024. Participants returned for a second year at higher rates (89.4%) than non-participants (84.5%).
Getting in
- Admit rate
- 89%About 9 in 10 applicants get in.Source: College Scorecard
- Test policy
- Test-optionalScores are considered if you send them, but not required.Source: College Scorecard
- SAT (middle 50%)
- 1120–1360Reading + math, enrolled first-years who sent scoresSource: College Scorecard
- ACT (middle 50%)
- 21–28Composite, enrolled first-years who sent scoresSource: College Scorecard
From Iowa State University's own report
These numbers come from the school's Common Data Set for 2025–26, a standard report colleges publish about their applicants and first-year students. Open the report.
58% had a 3.75 or higher. The average was 3.76. Schools count GPA differently (weighted or not), so compare ranges loosely.
- Admit rate in this report
- 88%21,652 admitted of 24,625 first-year applicants
- SAT, middle 50%
- 1153–136012% of first-years sent SAT scores
- ACT, middle 50%
- 21–2845% of first-years sent ACT scores
What the admissions office says it weighs
Very important
- How challenging your classes were
- GPA
Important
- Test scores
Considered
- Class rank
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Interview
- Activities
- A talent or ability
- Character and personal qualities
- Where you live
- Living in the state
- Volunteer work
- Work experience
Not considered
- Being first in your family to go to college
- Family who went there (legacy)
- Religious affiliation
- Showing interest in the school
Where you'd stand
Enter your numbers to see where they'd fall among Iowa State University's first-year students. This isn't a prediction: it shows how you compare with students who enrolled, using the sources linked below.
Leave out anything you don't have. Your numbers stay in this browser and fill in on other school pages. See my list
Sources: Iowa State University Common Data Set 2025–26. Test ranges describe enrolled students who sent scores.
What it really costs
Most families pay less than the sticker price. Net price is what's left after grants and scholarships.
- Average net price
- $18,517full-time first-years who got grant aidSource: College Scorecard
- Total cost of attendance
- $24,539sticker price incl. housing, per yearSource: College Scorecard
- Tuition, in-state
- $11,092Source: College Scorecard
- Tuition, out-of-state
- $30,140Source: College Scorecard
After you enroll
- Graduation rate
- 76%first-time, full-time students finishing within 6 yearsSource: College Scorecard
- Came back for year two
- 88%full-time first-year studentsSource: College Scorecard
- Median earnings
- $67,56810 years after starting, for students who got federal aidSource: College Scorecard
- Median debt at graduation
- $21,250federal loans, students who finishedSource: College Scorecard
Students
- Undergraduates
- 25,367Source: College Scorecard
- Receive Pell grants
- 23%a sign of economic diversitySource: College Scorecard
- First-generation students
- 20%parents didn't go beyond high schoolSource: College Scorecard
Similar schools
Also worth a look
- University of Iowa Iowa City, IA — admits 84%
- University of Kentucky Lexington, KY — admits 93%
- Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ — admits 90%
- Illinois State University Normal, IL — admits 88%
- Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA — admits 88%
- West Virginia University Morgantown, WV — admits 89%
Where these numbers come from
Every number on this page comes from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard page for Iowa State University, which draws on what the school reports to the federal government and on federal student aid and tax records. We last pulled the data on November 4, 2026. Different measures cover different years; here's how each one works.
Spot something wrong? Report a data error.