Dort vs. ISU

Should I go to Dordt College or Iowa State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Dort or ISU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Dordt College vs. Iowa State University comparison
Dordt College Iowa State University College 3 College 4
Dordt College Iowa State University
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Overview

Dort ISU
Location Sioux Center, IA Ames, IA
Setting Remote Town Small City
Enrollment 1,861 29,969
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #486 #352
Religious Affiliation Christian Reformed Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website dordt.edu iastate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Dort ISU
Tuition (In State) $34,000 $8,678
Tuition (Out of State) $34,000 $25,162
Room & Board $10,990 $9,358
Avg Net Price $27,375 $15,310
Avg Grant Aid $21,920 $11,043
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 80%

Admission

Dort ISU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,476 21,919
Admitted 1,294 19,776
Acceptance Rate 87.7% 90.2%
Enrolled % 34.3% 29%
Avg High School GPA 3.65 3.7
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 21/28
SAT Range 1020/1260 1090/1350
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

Dort ISU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (23%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Agriculture (6%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

Dort ISU
Graduation Rate 60% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,300 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,000 $23,868
Median Loan Payment $237 $246

Diversity

Dort ISU
% Men 47% 55%
% Women 53% 45%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 76%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 0% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 7% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 9% 7%
% Unknown Race 8% 5%

Students

Dort ISU
% In-State 39% 52%
% Out-of-State 50% 45%

Campus

Dort ISU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Iowa State University is larger than than Dort based on total student enrollment (29,969 students vs. 1,861 students)

Dort vs. ISU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Dort or ISU?

  • Dordt College is 291.8% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($34,000.00 vs. $8,678.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 35.1% higher at Dort than Iowa State University ($34,000.00 vs. $25,162.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Iowa State University than Dort ($15,310 vs. $27,375)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 17.4% lower than costs at Dordt College ($9,358 vs. $10,990)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dordt College than Iowa State University (100% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Dordt College students is 98.5% larger than aid received Iowa State University ($21,920 vs. $11,043)

Dort vs. ISU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Dort or ISU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between ISU or Dort .

  • The average SAT score at Dordt College (1159) is 17 points higher than at ISU (1142)
  • Incoming Dort students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at ISU (25)
  • Accepted freshman ISU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Dort (3.65)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than Dort (87.7%)

Dort vs. ISU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Dort or ISU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between ISU and Dort.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than Dordt College (68% vs. 60%)
  • Graduates from Iowa State University earn on average $10,400 more per year than Dort graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $43,300)
  • Dordt College students graduate with a $868 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($23,000 vs. $23,868)
  • Dort graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($237 vs. $246)
  • More Dort graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ISU students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 74%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/