More selective than 21% of Iowa colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $24,018. College Scorecard.
Higher than 90% of Iowa colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 90% of Iowa colleges we cover and 76% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
ISU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 22,995 applicants, Iowa State University admitted 20,496 and 5,859 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1120–1360 on the SAT or 21–28 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
ISU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Iowa residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What ISU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Iowa State University took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Iowa. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,582 | $45,714 | 1.7 years |
| $30–48k | $11,506 | $49,706 | 1.9 years |
| $48–75k | $15,463 | $66,800 | 2.5 years |
| $75–110k | $19,605 | $84,694 | 3.2 years |
| $110k+ | $22,496 | $97,183 | 3.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (54% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($63,386) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,725 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
ISU majors, earnings & careers
Iowa State University offers 93 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 21
- Engineering · 16
- Business & Finance · 13
- Humanities & Languages · 13
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at ISU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $105,753 | $24,337 |
| Computer Science | $104,211 | $24,663 |
| Construction Engineering | $100,676 | $20,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $99,705 | $26,997 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $94,089 | $26,572 |
| Business Economics | $93,379 | — |
| Industrial Engineering | $92,914 | $23,750 |
| Chemical Engineering | $92,773 | $20,188 |
Quick list of all 93 majors
- Accounting$70,706
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$94,089
- Agricultural Business$67,529
- Agricultural Engineering$88,576
- Agricultural Mechanization$78,890
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$44,892
- Animal Sciences$51,644
- Anthropology$43,443
- Apparel and Textiles$60,349
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Architecture$69,310
- Area Studies$61,860
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology$52,786
- Biochemistry$63,026
- Biology$53,447
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Business Administration$78,304
- Business Economics$93,379
- Chemical Engineering$92,773
- Chemistry$66,486
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$61,173
- Civil Engineering$85,427
- Classics—
- Communications$57,110
- Computational Science—
- Computer and Information Sciences$83,267
- Computer Engineering$105,753
- Computer Science$104,211
- Construction Engineering$100,676
- Criminal Justice$61,166
- Dance—
- Dietetics$54,391
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$39,143
- Economics$75,355
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,462
- Education (Subject Teaching)$52,622
- Electrical Engineering$99,705
- Engineering-Related Fields$82,548
- English$49,626
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$51,387
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies$62,341
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$51,531
- Finance$75,360
- Food Science and Technology$65,943
- Forestry$52,650
- Genetics$55,037
- Geology / Earth Science$65,204
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$52,671
- History$52,934
- Hospitality Management$55,491
- Human Development and Family Studies$46,253
- Human Resources—
- Industrial Engineering$92,914
- Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations—
- International Agriculture$56,405
- International Business—
- Journalism$53,633
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$60,059
- Landscape Architecture$61,364
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$54,889
- Linguistics$40,726
- Management Information Systems$87,413
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$66,482
- Materials Engineering$83,416
- Mathematics$62,261
- Mechanical Engineering$85,938
- Medical Illustration and Informatics$49,493
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$49,875
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$54,064
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Nutrition Science$53,933
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences$60,997
- Political Science$57,752
- Psychology$49,286
- Public Administration—
- Public Relations and Advertising$62,965
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology$55,714
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$61,697
- Statistics$72,581
- Sustainability Studies—
- Visual and Performing Arts$39,403
- Writing$69,673
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Ames
Overall prices in the Ames, IA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,061. Housing costs 31% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 38 inches of rain a year, 33 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Story County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Story County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare ISU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Iowa by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University | 89% | $18,589 | 75% | $63,386 | This school |
| University of Iowa | 84% | $22,531 | 75% | $64,762 | |
| University of Northern Iowa | 93% | $15,901 | 68% | $55,177 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Iowa State University would cost you $3,942 less per year than University of Iowa, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Iowa State University, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$2,890).
- University of Iowa gives aided families $636 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | ISU | University of Iowa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,787 | $11,283 | −$496 |
| Books & supplies | $1,091 | $950 | +$141 |
| Housing & meals | $9,726 | $12,616 | −$2,890 |
| Personal & travel | $2,890 | $4,066 | −$1,176 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$476 | −$319 | −$157 |
| Sticker price | $24,018 | $28,596 | −$4,578 |
| Average grants | −$5,429 | −$6,065 | +$636 |
| You pay | $18,589 | $22,531 | −$3,942 |
“+” means ISU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about ISU
What is the ISU acceptance rate?
Iowa State University accepts 89% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 20,496 of 22,995 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1120–1360 on the SAT or 21–28 on the ACT.
How much does Iowa State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,018 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,589 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,582 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,496.
How much do ISU graduates earn?
Former Iowa State University students earn a median $63,386 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the ISU graduation rate?
75% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 88% return for their second year.
How long does a ISU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Iowa State University costs about $66,800 after grants ($15,463 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $63,386 ten years after starting, $26,725 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 2.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Iowa State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/iowa-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).