ISU vs. Iowa

Should I go to Iowa State University or University of Iowa? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or Iowa 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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Iowa State University vs. University of Iowa comparison
Iowa State University University of Iowa College 3 College 4
Iowa State University University of Iowa
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Overview

 ISU Iowa
Location Ames, IA Iowa City, IA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 29,969 30,015
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #352 #224
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iastate.edu uiowa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 ISU Iowa
Tuition (In State) $8,678 $8,711
Tuition (Out of State) $25,162 $30,674
Room & Board $9,358 $11,476
Avg Net Price $15,310 $19,587
Avg Grant Aid $11,043 $9,959
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 82%

Admission

 ISU Iowa
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,919 25,729
Admitted 19,776 22,128
Acceptance Rate 90.2% 86%
Enrolled % 29% 23.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.81
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 22/28
SAT Range 1090/1350 1130/1340
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 May 1, 2025

Academics

 ISU Iowa
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

 ISU Iowa
Graduation Rate 68% 71%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $59,800
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,868 $21,616
Median Loan Payment $246 $223

Diversity

 ISU Iowa
% Men 55% 44%
% Women 45% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 67%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 7% 12%
% Unknown Race 5% 4%

Students

 ISU Iowa
% In-State 52% 54%
% Out-of-State 45% 45%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Iowa is larger than than ISU based on total student enrollment (30,015 students vs. 29,969 students)

ISU vs. Iowa Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or Iowa?

  • University of Iowa is 0.4% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($8,711.00 vs. $8,678.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 21.9% higher at Iowa than Iowa State University ($30,674.00 vs. $25,162.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Iowa State University than Iowa ($15,310 vs. $19,587)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 22.6% lower than costs at University of Iowa ($9,358 vs. $11,476)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Iowa than Iowa State University (82% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Iowa State University students is 10.9% larger than aid received University of Iowa ($11,043 vs. $9,959)

ISU vs. Iowa Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Iowa (1164) is 22 points higher than at ISU (1142)
  • Incoming Iowa students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at ISU (25)
  • Accepted freshman Iowa students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at ISU (3.7)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than Iowa (86%)

ISU vs. Iowa Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or Iowa? 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 Iowa and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at Iowa is higher than Iowa State University (71% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from University of Iowa earn on average $6,100 more per year than ISU graduates after ten years. ($59,800 vs. $53,700)
  • University of Iowa students graduate with a $2,252 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($21,616 vs. $23,868)
  • Iowa graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($223 vs. $246)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Iowa students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 70%)

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