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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
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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%
Application Deadline
—
SAT Range
980-1270
ACT Range
22-28
Application Fee
$40
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
No
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Cost

Net Price
$13,623/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $8,692/ year
  • $30-48k
    $9,697/ year
  • $49-75k
    $12,602/ year
  • $76-110k
    $15,676/ year
  • $110k+
    $17,363/ 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
66%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.203 responses
56%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.203 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
28,872Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
4%
Pell Grant
19%
Varsity Athletes
2%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 131 responses
Report
  • Well balanced between school and social life
    73%
  • Social
    11%
  • Academic based
    9%
  • Conservative Farmer
    5%
  • Thriving
    2%

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.250 responses
Poll
75%
of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.311 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 152 responses
Report
  • Bustling with activity
    28%
  • Big engineering school.
    22%
  • Choose your adventure
    16%
  • The best
    11%
  • Very science focused
    11%
  • Good Agricultural school
    7%
  • Very crowded
    5%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$48,600/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
74%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
96%
National
83%
93%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.156 responses
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Iowa State University Reviews

3,342 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!
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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.
Iowa State University is a great place to go to college! There are so many different clubs and activities to get involved with here. Currently there are over 850 different clubs on campus, so there is something for everyone. Iowa State has a great Greek life if that is something that would interest you! It is a large state university that has a small town feel.