UCF vs. ISU

Should I go to University of Central Florida or Iowa State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCF or ISU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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University of Central Florida vs. Iowa State University comparison
University of Central Florida Iowa State University College 3 College 4
University of Central Florida Iowa State University
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Overview

UCF ISU
Location Orlando, FL Ames, IA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 68,346 29,969
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #379 #352
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucf.edu iastate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCF ISU
Tuition (In State) $4,478 $8,678
Tuition (Out of State) $19,810 $25,162
Room & Board $11,498 $9,358
Avg Net Price $13,108 $15,310
Avg Grant Aid $9,986 $11,043
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 80%

Admission

UCF ISU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,977 21,919
Admitted 22,560 19,776
Acceptance Rate 41% 90.2%
Enrolled % 33.3% 29%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 3.7
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/29 21/28
SAT Range 1200/1360 1090/1350
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2024

Academics

UCF ISU
Student to Faculty Ratio 29:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (5%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

UCF ISU
Graduation Rate 63% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,900 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,270 $23,868
Median Loan Payment $188 $246

Diversity

UCF ISU
% Men 45% 55%
% Women 55% 45%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 53% 76%
% Black 11% 3%
% Hispanic 24% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 1% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

UCF ISU
% In-State 91% 52%
% Out-of-State 9% 45%

Campus

UCF ISU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Central Florida is larger than than ISU based on total student enrollment (68,346 students vs. 29,969 students)

UCF vs. ISU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCF or ISU?

  • Iowa State University is 93.8% more expensive to attend than UCF for in-state tuition ($8,678.00 vs. $4,478.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27% higher at ISU than University of Central Florida ($25,162.00 vs. $19,810.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Central Florida than ISU ($13,108 vs. $15,310)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 22.9% lower than costs at University of Central Florida ($9,358 vs. $11,498)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Central Florida than Iowa State University (93% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Iowa State University students is 10.6% larger than aid received University of Central Florida ($11,043 vs. $9,986)

UCF vs. ISU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCF or ISU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between ISU or UCF .

  • The average SAT score at University of Central Florida (1179) is 37 points higher than at ISU (1142)
  • Incoming UCF students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at ISU (25)
  • Accepted freshman ISU students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at UCF (3.64)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than UCF (41%)

UCF vs. ISU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCF or ISU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between ISU and UCF.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than University of Central Florida (68% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Iowa State University earn on average $4,800 more per year than UCF graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $48,900)
  • University of Central Florida students graduate with a $5,598 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($18,270 vs. $23,868)
  • UCF graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($188 vs. $246)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCF students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 59%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/