Public · Mostly bachelor's degrees · Small city

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa. 25,367 undergraduates. Admits 89% of applicants.

Iowa colleges Official websiteIts net price calculator
77%Graduation rate22 pts above the national median for similar colleges (54%)
$18,517Average net price per year7% below the national median for similar colleges ($19,899)
$67,568Median earnings 10 years after starting15% above the national median for similar colleges ($58,912)
$21,250Median debt at graduationAbout the same as the national median for similar colleges
Our read

Graduates' median debt ($21,250) equals 31% of former students' median earnings ten years after starting ($67,568).

What families actually pay

Under $30,000$11,957
$30,000–$48,000$12,869
$48,001–$75,000$14,013
$75,001–$110,000$19,173
Over $110,000$22,905

Average yearly net price for first-time, full-time students who received federal aid, by family income. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships. Source: College Scorecard.

Compare net price across collegesPublished tuition and fees: $11,092 in-state, $30,140 out-of-state.

Do students finish, and what do they earn?

MeasureThis collegeSimilar colleges nationally
Graduation rate77%54%
Return for second year88%76%
Median earnings, 6 years after starting$58,609$49,318
Median earnings, 10 years after starting$67,568$58,912
Median debt at graduation$21,250$21,609

Graduation rate within 150% of normal time; retention is the share of first-year students who return. Earnings are medians for former students who received federal aid, working and not enrolled. National comparison is the median for colleges of the same type (mostly bachelor's degrees).

Programs and what graduates earn

252 programs reported
ProgramGraduates / yrMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian earnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Computer Engineering217$83,366$115,731$24,984
Computer Science141$81,601$110,479$24,625
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering98$81,522$105,822$22,921
Construction Engineering54$79,703$104,696$22,875
Industrial Engineering76$78,621$97,132$23,250
Chemical Engineering73$79,106$95,790$23,250
Agricultural Engineering35$74,047$93,410$18,750
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering173$79,517$91,195$25,377
Materials Engineering30$72,014$90,066$26,990
Mechanical Engineering369$77,031$89,608$24,250
Management Information Systems and Services0—$89,422—
Economics24$60,188$87,521$20,092
Civil Engineering96$75,489$87,440$22,000
Finance and Financial Management Services232$64,168$81,454$21,816
Business Administration, Management and Operations260$60,808$80,534$21,750
Engineering-Related Fields77$69,879$79,105$23,250
Agricultural Mechanization39$69,450$79,073$17,313
Accounting and Related Services134$62,351$78,366$20,154
Mathematics50$55,421$77,375$19,250
Architecture0—$74,109—
Marketing270$56,055$71,779$23,250
Agricultural Business and Management212$59,562$70,742$16,500
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences8—$70,711—
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics40$49,981$69,945$27,000
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods66$69,353—$21,625
Political Science and Government64$41,710$69,135$19,000
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning14$49,560$68,313$24,980
Criminal Justice and Corrections113$44,847$67,476$22,879
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication90$48,560$66,971$20,825
Food Science and Technology21—$66,436—
International Business14$66,155——
Chemistry44$57,526$65,825$22,500
Apparel and Textiles79$43,793$65,277$24,904
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness235$40,853$65,039$25,250
Nutrition Sciences21$41,420$64,307—
Computer and Information Sciences, General134$62,978—$22,390
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology31—$62,975$26,001
Plant Sciences118$48,895$62,389$20,500
Genetics36$42,109$61,176$26,860
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other3—$61,076—
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology20—$60,778$24,250
Statistics35$60,621—$23,421
International Agriculture51$43,523$60,240$18,415
Hospitality Administration/Management70$46,372$59,895$23,250
Architectural Sciences and Technology78$61,214$59,764$28,628
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology19$46,267$58,872$21,500
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations40$58,250—$18,972
Forestry28$42,466$57,962$26,093
Communication and Media Studies66$45,887$57,661$21,500
Animal Sciences231$44,561$57,629$21,500
Sociology31$36,395$57,022$24,444
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies15—$56,867—
Biology, General177$39,244$56,538$22,385
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas47$47,409$56,263$17,850
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities76$39,154$56,010$25,875
Area Studies11$31,298$55,531—
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services40—$55,227$25,499
Sustainability Studies28$55,068—$27,250
Design and Applied Arts245$45,054$54,670$26,000
Psychology, General217$38,802$54,368$23,250
Natural Resources Conservation and Research80$43,359$53,637$23,250
History63$41,458$53,584$25,537
Journalism37$43,049$53,395$20,375
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General14—$51,466—
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services19—$51,137$23,657
Anthropology19$35,190$50,317$27,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods171$46,492$48,247$25,440
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services66$38,938$47,814$21,500
English Language and Literature, General58$43,430$47,311$19,500
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions15—$46,432—
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology95$34,656$43,677$23,250
Visual and Performing Arts, General16$33,710$42,661—
Agricultural Public Services8———
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies13———
Education, General43——$23,225
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering13——$25,286
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies11———
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology5———
Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations42——$27,000
Computational Science18———
Philosophy9———
Religion/Religious Studies9———
Physics12———
Public Administration9———
Music10———
Health and Medical Administrative Services6———
Medical Illustration and Informatics9———
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing15———
Business/Managerial Economics8———
Human Resources Management and Services18——$23,585

Program-level medians for graduates who received federal aid. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure to protect privacy, usually because the program is small. At four-year colleges, certificate graduates often earned a bachelor's at the same time, so their earnings can reflect the degree. Source: College Scorecard, field of study data.

Getting in

89%Admission rate
1,204Average SAT of admitted students
21–28ACT middle 50%
18:1Students per faculty member
23%Undergraduates with a Pell Grant

Similar colleges in Iowa

Coe CollegeCedar Rapids · net price $18,647 · grad rate 60%University of Northern IowaCedar Falls · net price $16,038 · grad rate 69%Buena Vista UniversityStorm Lake · net price $18,855 · grad rate 58%University of IowaIowa City · net price $22,508 · grad rate 76%Simpson CollegeIndianola · net price $20,460 · grad rate 63%Grinnell CollegeGrinnell · net price $15,203 · grad rate 86%

Compare colleges side by side

Quick answers

How much does Iowa State University cost per year?
The average net price at Iowa State University, what students pay after grants and scholarships, is $18,517 per year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How much do Iowa State University graduates earn?
Former Iowa State University students earn a median of $67,568 a year ten years after starting college. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
What is the graduation rate at Iowa State University?
77% of Iowa State University students graduate within 150% of normal time. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How much student debt do Iowa State University graduates have?
The median federal student debt at graduation from Iowa State University is $21,250. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.