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.
- Top 4%Undergraduates
- Top 14%Graduation rate (4-year)
- Top 18%Full-time retention
- Top 20%Median earnings, 6 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
- $18,165910th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $10,497643rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $27,6831,164th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $23,309571st cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $22,869985th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $63,386425th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $53,873383rd highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 75.5%284th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 87.6%331st highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 89.1%1,209th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1199402nd highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 25346th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 25,03380th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 18.0:11,713th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 18.5%1,803rd highest of 2,140 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.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $75,742 | $73,321 |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $74,812 | $73,839 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $73,399 | $71,734 |
| Construction EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $71,351 | $70,083 |
| Chemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $70,948 | $67,156 |
| Industrial EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $68,305 | $68,101 |
| Materials EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $67,101 | $63,005 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $66,781 | $62,734 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $65,814 | $67,221 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $62,473 | $62,632 |
| Agricultural EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $61,516 | $60,485 |
| Engineering-Related FieldsEngineering Technology | bachelors | $59,834 | $58,040 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1858source
- Motto: "Science with practice"source
- Athletic nickname: "Cyclones"source
- Mascot: Cy the Cardinalsource
- Jack Trice Stadium seats about 42,500source
- Competes in Big 12 Conferencesource
- School colors: Cardinal and Goldsource
- Formerly known as "Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm" (1858–1898)source
- Formerly known as "Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts" (1898–1959)source
- Athletic conference: Big 12source
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Football rivalry: Farmageddon (since 1917)source
- Plays for the "Cy-Hawk Trophy" (since 1894)source
- Plays for the "Telephone Trophy" (since 1896)source
- Football rivalry: Iowa State–Nebraska (since 1896)source
- Fight song: ""[[ISU Fights]]""source
- Notable alum: Henry A. Wallacesource
- Notable alum: George Washington Carversource
- Notable alum: Lee Teng-huisource
- Notable alum: John Vincent Atanasoffsource
- Notable alum: John Garangsource
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)
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websiteiastate.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 153603)
- Compare colleges in IARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in IowaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Iowa State University vs University of IowaHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 11 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.