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Iowa State University

Ames, IA · Public · Small city · Carnegie R1/R2 · ISU

Public institution in Ames, IA · 25,033 undergraduates · 89% acceptance rate · $63,386 median earnings 10 years after entry.

Stats

College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.

Cost

Average net price
$18,165908th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
In-state tuition & fees
$10,497641st cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Out-of-state tuition & fees
$27,6831,154th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
Cost of attendance
$23,309571st cheapest of 1,969 reporting
Median graduate debt
$22,869978th lowest of 1,865 reporting

Outcomes

Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$63,386424th highest of 1,954 reporting
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$53,873382nd highest of 1,950 reporting
Graduation rate (4-year)
75.5%283rd highest of 2,014 reporting
Full-time retention
87.6%328th highest of 1,837 reporting

Admissions

Acceptance rate
89.1%1,198th most selective of 1,596 reporting
Average SAT
1199402nd highest of 1,022 reporting
Median ACT
25346th highest of 952 reporting

Campus

Undergraduates
25,03380th largest of 2,144 reporting
Student-faculty ratio
18.0:11,696th smallest of 2,141 reporting
Pell Grant share
18.5%1,787th highest of 2,122 reporting

Nearest large-hub airport: 199 mi (MSP)

On 3 of our 111 lists

Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.

Applying

Common App member
Yes
Application fee
$55
Personal essay
Optional / not required
Writing supplement
No

Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.

Best-paying fields of study

Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 85 reported programs.

FieldLevel1 yr2 yr
Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$75,742$73,321
Computer EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$74,812$73,839
Computer Sciencebachelors$73,399$71,734
Construction EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$71,351$70,083
Chemical EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$70,948$67,156
Industrial EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$68,305$68,101
Materials EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$67,101$63,005
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$66,781$62,734
Mechanical EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$65,814$67,221
Civil EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$62,473$62,632
Agricultural EngineeringEngineeringbachelors$61,516$60,485
Engineering-Related FieldsEngineering Technologybachelors$59,834$58,040

Campus facts

Athletics — 11 sports

NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I

Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $9,856,392 (M $5,121,176 · W $4,735,216)

Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.

Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Iowa State University’s 25,033 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.

In IA

Elsewhere