Cost advantage
Affordable public option
In-state tuition in the lower range for public universities.
This school$10.8k
Public 4-yr avg$11k
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
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UniversitypublicVerified data
Iowa State University
Ames, IA
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$10,787
Out-of-State Tuition
$28,881
Avg On-Campus Living
$10,808
Avg Off-Campus Living
$9,576
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$21,595
Net price (after aid)$18,589
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$10,582
$30k – $48k$11,506
$48k – $75k$15,463
$75k – $110k$19,605
$110k+$22,496
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$63,386
Median debt at graduation$22,869
Est. monthly loan payment$242
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Moderate · 2.8×Graduates earn about 2.8× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants19%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans43%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
75%
Freshman Retention
88%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Strong aid for lower incomes
Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.
Strong post-grad earnings
$63.4k above avg
Strong completion rate
75% above avg
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$10.8k
Out-of-state
$28.9k
Net price
$18.6k
Pell
19%
Median debt
$22.9k
below avg
Earnings (10y)
$63.4k
above avg
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
89%
SAT range
1110 - 1350
ACT range
21 - 28
Actions
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Location
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
Ames, IA 50011
Academics
Studying online: a small share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 983 of Iowa State University's 30,177 students (3%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 16,180 (54%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
Iowa State University reported conferring credentials in 119 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Similar schools
Frequently asked questions
About Iowa State University
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is Iowa State University located?
- Iowa State University is located in Ames, IA, in the United States.
- What type of institution is Iowa State University?
- Iowa State University is a public university based in IA. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at Iowa State University?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at Iowa State University is approximately 89%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at Iowa State University?
- Iowa State University's published in-state tuition is approximately $10,787 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend Iowa State University?
- Iowa State University reports total enrollment of approximately 29,878 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does Iowa State University actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at Iowa State University is approximately $18,589 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $10,582 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $22,496. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at Iowa State University?
- Iowa State University reports a graduation rate of approximately 75%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of Iowa State University have?
- Students who borrowed at Iowa State University left with a median of approximately $22,869 in federal loans, and about 43% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of Iowa State University earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $63,386 for students who received federal financial aid at Iowa State University. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about Iowa State University?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with Iowa State University.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 119 fields Iowa State University reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | 369 | Bachelor's |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 276 | Graduate16 graduate · 260 bachelor's |
| Marketing | 271 | Graduate1 graduate · 270 bachelor's |
| Design and Applied Arts | 263 | Graduate18 graduate · 245 bachelor's |
| Computer Engineering | 256 | Graduate39 graduate · 217 bachelor's |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 253 | Graduate119 graduate · 134 bachelor's |
| Animal Sciences | 245 | Graduate14 graduate · 231 bachelor's |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 244 | Graduate12 graduate · 232 bachelor's |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 240 | Graduate5 graduate · 235 bachelor's |
| Psychology, General | 234 | Graduate17 graduate · 217 bachelor's |
| Biology, General | 222 | Graduate45 graduate · 177 bachelor's |
| Agricultural Business and Management | 212 | Bachelor's |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 192 | Graduate19 graduate · 173 bachelor's |
| Computer Science | 188 | Graduate47 graduate · 141 bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideAll colleges in IowaIowa college costs by family incomeStudent debt at Iowa collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with Iowa State University before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of Iowa State University are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). Iowa State University, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/iowa-state-university
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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