ISU vs. Cal State LA vs. UCLA

Should I go to Iowa State University or California State University Los Angeles? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or Cal State LA 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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Iowa State University vs. California State University Los Angeles vs. University of California Los Angeles comparison
Iowa State University California State University Los Angeles University of California Los Angeles College 4
Iowa State University California State University Los Angeles University of California Los Angeles
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Overview

 ISU Cal State LA UCLA
Location Ames, IA Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Small City Large City Large City
Enrollment 29,969 26,460 46,430
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #352 #947 #58
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website iastate.edu calstatela.edu ucla.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 ISU Cal State LA UCLA
Tuition (In State) $8,678 $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $25,162 $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $9,358 $17,998 $17,231
Avg Net Price $15,310 $5,801 $16,999
Avg Grant Aid $11,043 $10,907 $21,766
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 91% 46%

Admission

 ISU Cal State LA UCLA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,919 33,939 149,801
Admitted 19,776 29,507 12,845
Acceptance Rate 90.2% 86.9% 8.6%
Enrolled % 29% 13.2% 50.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.31 3.92
Typical High School Grades A- B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 21/28 15/20 29/35
SAT Range 1090/1350 870/1060 1300/1530
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jan 19, 2024 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 ISU Cal State LA UCLA
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 22:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)

Outcomes

 ISU Cal State LA UCLA
Graduation Rate 68% 36% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $46,900 $70,700
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 57% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,868 $12,920 $16,300
Median Loan Payment $246 $133 $168

Diversity

 ISU Cal State LA UCLA
% Men 55% 41% 43%
% Women 45% 59% 57%
Racial Diversity Low Medium Very High
HBCU No No No
% White 76% 7% 27%
% Black 3% 4% 3%
% Hispanic 5% 63% 21%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2% 5%
% International 7% 6% 13%
% Unknown Race 5% 3% 2%

Students

 ISU Cal State LA UCLA
% In-State 52% 99% 77%
% Out-of-State 45% 0% 15%

Campus

 ISU Cal State LA UCLA
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Iowa State University is larger than than Cal State LA based on total student enrollment (29,969 students vs. 26,460 students)

ISU vs. Cal State LA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or Cal State LA?

  • Iowa State University is 51.1% more expensive to attend than Cal State LA for in-state tuition ($8,678.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 42.8% higher at ISU than California State University Los Angeles ($25,162.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Los Angeles than ISU ($5,801 vs. $15,310)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 92.3% lower than costs at California State University Los Angeles ($9,358 vs. $17,998)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Los Angeles than Iowa State University (91% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Iowa State University students is 1.2% larger than aid received California State University Los Angeles ($11,043 vs. $10,907)

ISU vs. Cal State LA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Iowa State University (1142) is 268 points higher than at Cal State LA (874)
  • Incoming ISU students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Cal State LA (18)
  • Accepted freshman ISU students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Cal State LA (3.31)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than Cal State LA (86.9%)

ISU vs. Cal State LA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or Cal State LA? 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 Cal State LA and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than California State University Los Angeles (68% vs. 36%)
  • Graduates from Iowa State University earn on average $6,800 more per year than Cal State LA graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $46,900)
  • California State University Los Angeles students graduate with a $10,948 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($12,920 vs. $23,868)
  • Cal State LA graduates are paying $113 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($133 vs. $246)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State LA students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 57%)

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