National university
#7 Best colleges in IowaIowa State University
Ames, IA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $18,589 a year
Median debt at graduation: $22,869 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
Iowa State in Fall Colors 🍂 Drone Tour · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#92 of 1,046
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#125 of 950
- Best colleges for nursing in America#151 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#163 of 1,132
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#268 of 1,829
- Best colleges for marketing in America#131 of 834
Show 17 more
- Best colleges for business in America#259 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#221 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#216 of 1,238
- Best colleges for finance in America#137 of 744
- Best colleges for psychology in America#282 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#371 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#266 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#285 of 1,358
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#149 of 690
- Best test-optional colleges in America#325 of 1,481
- Best colleges for history in America#279 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#266 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#279 of 1,215
- Best value colleges in America#163 of 674
- Best colleges for music in America#259 of 1,063
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#285 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#276 of 1,116
In Iowa
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Iowa#4 of 30
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Iowa#3 of 19
- Best colleges for nursing in Iowa#3 of 19
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Iowa#4 of 25
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Iowa#4 of 24
- Best colleges for accounting in Iowa#4 of 23
Show 20 more
- Best colleges for business in Iowa#5 of 27
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Iowa#5 of 26
- Best colleges for education in Iowa#5 of 26
- Best colleges for English in Iowa#5 of 26
- Best colleges for history in Iowa#5 of 25
- Best colleges for mathematics in Iowa#5 of 25
- Best colleges for music in Iowa#5 of 25
- Best colleges for art and design in Iowa#5 of 24
- Best colleges for chemistry in Iowa#5 of 23
- Best colleges for psychology in Iowa#6 of 27
- Best colleges for engineering in Iowa#3 of 13
- Best colleges for finance in Iowa#3 of 13
- Best colleges in Iowa#7 of 30
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Iowa#5 of 21
- Best test-optional colleges in Iowa#7 of 29
- Best colleges for marketing in Iowa#4 of 16
- Best value colleges in Iowa#4 of 16
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Iowa#4 of 16
- Best colleges for computer science in Iowa#5 of 19
- Best colleges for economics in Iowa#5 of 17
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.75%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.88%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,204 · ACT 24.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$12,347
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $24,018 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 25,332 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 55% · Women 45% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 20% |
| Total students | 30,177 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $18,589 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $24,018 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,869 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 75% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 68% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 65% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 76% |
| First-year retention | 88% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $63,386 |
| Admission rate | 89% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $40 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,026 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 19% |
| Average SAT | 1204 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 560–670 |
| SAT math | 560–690 |
| ACT composite | 21–28 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 27% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer engineering | |
| Computer science | |
| Construction Engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | |
| Managerial economics | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Agricultural Engineering | |
| Management information systems | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Materials Engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Engineering-Related Fields | |
| Agricultural Mechanization | |
| Business administration | |
| Finance | |
| Economics | |
| Statistics | |
| Accounting | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Architecture | |
| Agricultural business | |
| Chemistry | |
| Marketing | |
| Food Science and Technology | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Public relations | |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | |
| Mathematics | |
| Area studies | |
| Romance languages | |
| Landscape Architecture | |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Plant Sciences | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Political science | |
| Communication studies | |
| International Agriculture | |
| Sociology | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Genetics | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Nutrition Sciences | |
| Journalism | |
| Biology | |
| History | |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | |
| Design | |
| Forestry | |
| Secondary education | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | |
| English | |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | |
| Psychology | |
| Teacher education | |
| Family and human development | |
| Allied health | |
| Anthropology | |
| Linguistics | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Architectural Sciences and Technology, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Classics, Computational Science, Dance, Education (general), Entrepreneurship, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Ethnic and gender studies, German, Human resources, Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations, International business, Management science, Music, Nursing, Philosophy, Physics, Public administration, Religious studies, Sustainability Studies, Zoology/Animal Biology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Engineering | |
| Business | |
| Agriculture | |
| Biology | |
| Visual and performing arts |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 4% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 3% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $10,808 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big Twelve Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 18 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 8%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 84%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $51,754IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 41% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)About 34 miles away · about 55 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)About 126 miles away |
| Town population | 67,669Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | OmahaAbout 135 miles away · about 3 hours 20 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 20°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Ames Municipal Airport, IA, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.07 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.06 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.14 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Iowa State University’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 20% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Iowa State University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $18,589 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Iowa State University?
- Iowa State University admitted 89% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Iowa State University’s graduates do?
- 75% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $63,386; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,869.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 153603
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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