UIC vs. Iowa

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

UIC Iowa
Location Chicago, IL Iowa City, IA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 33,747 30,015
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #234 #224
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uic.edu uiowa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UIC Iowa
Tuition (In State) $10,970 $8,711
Tuition (Out of State) $25,578 $30,674
Room & Board $14,400 $11,476
Avg Net Price $10,384 $19,587
Avg Grant Aid $13,813 $9,959
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 82%

Admission

UIC Iowa
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 23,562 25,729
Admitted 18,541 22,128
Acceptance Rate 78.7% 86%
Enrolled % 22.9% 23.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.81
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/30 22/28
SAT Range 1110/1340 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 Feb 1, 2025 May 1, 2025

Academics

UIC Iowa
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

UIC Iowa
Graduation Rate 54% 71%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,900 $59,800
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,750 $21,616
Median Loan Payment $193 $223

Diversity

UIC Iowa
% Men 44% 44%
% Women 56% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 34% 67%
% Black 8% 3%
% Hispanic 28% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 12%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

UIC Iowa
% In-State 88% 54%
% Out-of-State 5% 45%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is larger than than Iowa based on total student enrollment (33,747 students vs. 30,015 students)

UIC vs. Iowa Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UIC or Iowa?

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is 25.9% more expensive to attend than Iowa for in-state tuition ($10,970.00 vs. $8,711.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.9% higher at Iowa than University of Illinois at Chicago ($30,674.00 vs. $25,578.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than Iowa ($10,384 vs. $19,587)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Iowa are 25.5% lower than costs at University of Illinois at Chicago ($11,476 vs. $14,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Iowa than University of Illinois at Chicago (82% vs. 73%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Illinois at Chicago students is 38.7% larger than aid received University of Iowa ($13,813 vs. $9,959)

UIC vs. Iowa Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Iowa (1164) is 72 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming Iowa students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at UIC (24)
  • Accepted freshman Iowa students have a 0.4 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at UIC (3.41)
  • Iowa has a higher acceptance rate (86%) than UIC (78.7%)

UIC vs. Iowa Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UIC 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 UIC.

  • The graduation rate at Iowa is higher than University of Illinois at Chicago (71% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from University of Illinois at Chicago earn on average $2,100 more per year than Iowa graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $59,800)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago students graduate with a $2,866 lower median federal student loan debt than Iowa graduates. ($18,750 vs. $21,616)
  • UIC graduates are paying $30 less per month on federal student loans than Iowa graduates. ($193 vs. $223)
  • More Iowa graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UIC students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 68%)

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