ISU vs. Iowa vs. UB

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

 ISU Iowa UB
Location Ames, IA Iowa City, IA Buffalo, NY
Setting Small City Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 30,177 30,042 31,889
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #351 #225 #101
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website iastate.edu uiowa.edu buffalo.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 ISU Iowa UB
Tuition (In State) $8,982 $9,016 $7,070
Tuition (Out of State) $26,168 $30,979 $26,860
Room & Board $9,726 $12,616 $16,754
Avg Net Price $17,354 $20,121 $20,511
Avg Grant Aid $10,718 $9,512 $9,996
% Receiving Grant Aid 77% 74% 74%

Admission

 ISU Iowa UB
Applied 22,995 25,682 38,210
Admitted 20,496 21,746 26,481
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 84.7% 69.3%
Enrolled % 28.6% 23.3% 16.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.81 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/28 22/28 27/32
SAT Range 1110/1350 1130/1320 1210/1380
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2026

Academics

 ISU Iowa UB
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 15:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

 ISU Iowa UB
Graduation Rate 68% 71% 71%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $59,800 $58,400
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 70% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,868 $21,616 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $246 $223 $201

Diversity

 ISU Iowa UB
% Men 8% 12% 17%
% Women 8% 14% 19%
Racial Diversity Low Medium Very High
HBCU No No No
% White 76% 67% 48%
% Black 3% 3% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 7% 6%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3% 2%
% International 7% 12% 16%
% Unknown Race 5% 4% 5%

Students

 ISU Iowa UB
% In-State 52% 52% 88%
% Out-of-State 45% 46% 3%

Campus

 ISU Iowa UB
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 Iowa based on total student enrollment (30,177 students vs. 30,042 students)

ISU vs. Iowa Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or Iowa?

  • University of Iowa is 0.4% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($9,016.00 vs. $8,982.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.4% higher at Iowa than Iowa State University ($30,979.00 vs. $26,168.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Iowa State University than Iowa ($17,354 vs. $20,121)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 29.7% lower than costs at University of Iowa ($9,726 vs. $12,616)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Iowa State University than University of Iowa (77% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Iowa State University students is 12.7% larger than aid received University of Iowa ($10,718 vs. $9,512)

ISU vs. Iowa Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Iowa (1164) is 22 points higher than at ISU (1142)
  • Incoming Iowa students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at ISU (25)
  • Accepted freshman Iowa students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at ISU (3.7)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (89.1%) than Iowa (84.7%)

ISU vs. Iowa Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or Iowa? 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 Iowa and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at Iowa is higher than Iowa State University (71% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from University of Iowa earn on average $6,100 more per year than ISU graduates after ten years. ($59,800 vs. $53,700)
  • University of Iowa students graduate with a $2,252 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($21,616 vs. $23,868)
  • Iowa graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($223 vs. $246)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Iowa students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 70%)

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