ISU vs. UO

Should I go to Iowa State University or University of Oregon? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or UO 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 Oregon comparison
Iowa State University University of Oregon College 3 College 4
Iowa State University University of Oregon
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Overview

ISU UO
Location Ames, IA Eugene, OR
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 30,708 22,257
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #368 #342
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iastate.edu uoregon.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU UO
Tuition (In State) $8,324 $11,974
Tuition (Out of State) $24,136 $38,017
Room & Board $9,088 $13,509
Avg Net Price $16,105 $17,646
Avg Grant Aid $8,287 $9,769
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 88%

Admission

ISU UO
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 20,357 31,558
Admitted 18,550 29,483
Acceptance Rate 91.1% 93.4%
Enrolled % 29% 15.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.73
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 22/29
SAT Range 1083/1330 1090/1290
Submit Test Scores Considered but not required Neither required nor recommended
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2023

Academics

ISU UO
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

ISU UO
Graduation Rate 68% 66%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $49,000
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,868 $21,101
Median Loan Payment $246 $218

Diversity

ISU UO
% Men 55% 45%
% Women 45% 55%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 76% 60%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 5% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 7%
% International 7% 14%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

ISU UO
% In-State 60% 44%
% Out-of-State 38% 54%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Iowa State University is larger than than UO based on total student enrollment (30,708 students vs. 22,257 students)

ISU vs. UO Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or UO?

  • University of Oregon is 43.8% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($11,974.00 vs. $8,324.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 57.5% higher at UO than Iowa State University ($38,017.00 vs. $24,136.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Iowa State University than UO ($16,105 vs. $17,646)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 48.6% lower than costs at University of Oregon ($9,088 vs. $13,509)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Iowa State University than University of Oregon (91% vs. 88%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Oregon students is 17.9% larger than aid received Iowa State University ($9,769 vs. $8,287)

ISU vs. UO Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Iowa State University (1142) is 23 points higher than at UO (1119)
  • Incoming ISU students have at the same average ACT score (25) as students at UO (25)
  • UO has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than ISU (91.1%)

ISU vs. UO Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than University of Oregon (68% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from Iowa State University earn on average $4,700 more per year than UO graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $49,000)
  • University of Oregon students graduate with a $2,767 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($21,101 vs. $23,868)
  • UO graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($218 vs. $246)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UO students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 62%)

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