A
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A-
  2. Value
    A
  3. Diversity
    A-
  4. Campus
    A
  5. Athletics
    A+
  6. Party Scene
    A
  7. Professors
    A
  8. Location
    A-
  9. Dorms
    B
  10. Campus Food
    A-
  11. Student Life
    A
  12. Safety
    B
View Full Report Card
Iowa State University is ...
Public
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I-FBS
Athletic Conference
Big Twelve Conference
Address
1750 Beardshear Hall
Ames, IA 50010
Website
iastate.edu

Iowa State University Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Admissions

Acceptance Rate
87%
SAT Range
960-1260
ACT Range
22-28
Application Fee
$40
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Will You Get In?

Test Scores and GPA for Iowa State University

Cost

Net Price
$13,647/ year
National
$15,403
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $8,620/ year
  • $30-48k
    $9,474/ year
  • $49-75k
    $12,912/ year
  • $76-110k
    $15,699/ year
  • $110k+
    $17,287/ year

Academics

Professors
A
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
19:1
Evening Degree Programs
Yes
79%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.189 responses
65%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.197 responses
55%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.197 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Mechanical Engineering
    358 Graduates
  • Kinesiology and Exercise Science
    259 Graduates
  • Marketing
    251 Graduates
  • Animal Sciences and Husbandry
    234 Graduates
  • Finance
    232 Graduates
  • Psychology
    191 Graduates
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    189 Graduates
  • Biology
    177 Graduates
  • Accounting
    175 Graduates
  • Family and Community Services
    166 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
28,771Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
4%
Pell Grant
20%
Varsity Athletes
2%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 125 responses
Report
  • Well balanced between school and social life
    75%
  • Social
    11%
  • Academic based
    8%
  • Conservative Farmer
    5%
  • Thriving
    1%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
—
Poll
51%
of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.244 responses
Poll
75%
of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.305 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 146 responses
Report
  • Bustling with activity
    29%
  • Big engineering school.
    23%
  • Choose your adventure
    14%
  • The best
    12%
  • Very science focused
    10%
  • Good Agricultural school
    8%
  • Very crowded
    5%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$47,200/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
71%
National
48%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
95%
National
83%
93%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.156 responses
Colleges like Iowa State University
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Iowa State University Reviews

3,249 reviews
All Categories
I love Iowa State, it is a wonderful university to find yourself as well as life-long friends and peers. The university has such a diversity of majors and minors that it offers that 50 people or more in a given area could have a completely different major. I am in my 3rd year of Architecture in the College of Design and am consistently pushed to be my most critical and creative self everyday. The campus is absolutely beautiful, but the winters can be a bit cold and dreary. Otherwise, the grounds of campus almost always have something going on of interest. There are quite a few residence dining halls spread across campus and cafes in every other building (it seems anyway). I have met my greatest friends, classmates and professors here and would absolutely recommend this university to anyone. According to Schools.com, ISU is the 11th best university in the U.S. which is impressive to me. My time here has been well worth it!
Review Iowa State University
Iowa State is an all around great university! No matter who you are or what your goals are for the future, there's more than likely something here for you. There are hundreds of different majors, clubs and organizations, associations, and resources to meet the needs of any student. The campus is beautiful and well taken care of both indoors and out. The city of Ames has a wide variety of foods, stores, housing, recreational activities and overall friendly atmosphere.
In my opinion, the academics are very effective. I am a Child and Family Services major, so I can't speak for everyone, but I enjoy most of my classes as well as the professors. The campus is gorgeous and the on-campus housing has a fun environment. Overall, the campus is fairly safe, but could use some better lighting in certain locations. Some places have great good, but the dining centers could really use some improvement, especially for those with dietary needs. The local area and student life are both great! There are over 800 clubs on campus so there are opportunities for everyone to get involved!