ISU vs. St. Kate's

Should I go to Iowa State University or St Catherine University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or St. Kate's 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Iowa Michigan State Purdue Nebraska UIC Minnesota UNI Illinois ASU IU UT Dallas NDSU
Iowa State University vs. St Catherine University comparison
Iowa State University St Catherine University College 3 College 4
Iowa State University St Catherine University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

ISU St. Kate's
Location Ames, IA Saint Paul, MN
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 29,969 3,577
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #352 #276
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iastate.edu stkate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU St. Kate's
Tuition (In State) $8,678 $46,976
Tuition (Out of State) $25,162 $46,976
Room & Board $9,358 $9,900
Avg Net Price $15,310 $19,976
Avg Grant Aid $11,043 $37,012
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 100%

Admission

ISU St. Kate's
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,919 1,512
Admitted 19,776 1,399
Acceptance Rate 90.2% 92.5%
Enrolled % 29% 24.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.62
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 18/26
SAT Range 1090/1350 1155/1450
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

ISU St. Kate's
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Health Professions (51%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Human Services (5%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

ISU St. Kate's
Graduation Rate 68% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $50,100
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,868 $28,000
Median Loan Payment $246 $289

Diversity

ISU St. Kate's
% Men 55% 7%
% Women 45% 93%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 64%
% Black 3% 9%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 7% 1%
% Unknown Race 5% 4%

Students

ISU St. Kate's
% In-State 52% 80%
% Out-of-State 45% 17%

Campus

ISU St. Kate's
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Iowa State University is larger than than St. Kate's based on total student enrollment (29,969 students vs. 3,577 students)

ISU vs. St. Kate's Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or St. Kate's?

  • St Catherine University is 441.3% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($46,976.00 vs. $8,678.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 86.7% higher at St. Kate's than Iowa State University ($46,976.00 vs. $25,162.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Iowa State University than St. Kate's ($15,310 vs. $19,976)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 5.8% lower than costs at St Catherine University ($9,358 vs. $9,900)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Catherine University than Iowa State University (100% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Catherine University students is 235.2% larger than aid received Iowa State University ($37,012 vs. $11,043)

ISU vs. St. Kate's Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Iowa State University (1142) is 110 points higher than at St. Kate's (1032)
  • Incoming ISU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at St. Kate's (22)
  • Accepted freshman ISU students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at St. Kate's (3.62)
  • St. Kate's has a higher acceptance rate (92.5%) than ISU (90.2%)

ISU vs. St. Kate's Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or St. Kate's? 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 St. Kate's and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than St Catherine University (68% vs. 65%)
  • Graduates from Iowa State University earn on average $3,600 more per year than St. Kate's graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $50,100)
  • Iowa State University students graduate with a $4,132 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Kate's graduates. ($23,868 vs. $28,000)
  • ISU graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than St. Kate's graduates. ($246 vs. $289)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St. Kate's students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 65%)

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