San Diego State vs. Iowa

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

San Diego State Iowa
Location San Diego, CA Iowa City, IA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 37,402 30,015
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #337 #224
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sdsu.edu uiowa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Diego State Iowa
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $8,711
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $30,674
Room & Board $19,714 $11,476
Avg Net Price $13,017 $19,587
Avg Grant Aid $9,934 $9,959
% Receiving Grant Aid 43% 82%

Admission

San Diego State Iowa
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 77,250 25,729
Admitted 30,331 22,128
Acceptance Rate 39.3% 86%
Enrolled % 21.7% 23.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.81
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 22/29 22/28
SAT Range 1090/1300 1130/1340
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 May 1, 2024

Academics

San Diego State Iowa
Student to Faculty Ratio 25:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

San Diego State Iowa
Graduation Rate 66% 71%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,400 $59,800
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,349 $21,616
Median Loan Payment $158 $223

Diversity

San Diego State Iowa
% Men 42% 44%
% Women 58% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 34% 67%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 31% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 6% 12%
% Unknown Race 4% 4%

Students

San Diego State Iowa
% In-State 77% 54%
% Out-of-State 21% 45%

Campus

San Diego State Iowa
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • San Diego State University is larger than than Iowa based on total student enrollment (37,402 students vs. 30,015 students)

San Diego State vs. Iowa Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, San Diego State or Iowa?

  • University of Iowa is 51.7% more expensive to attend than San Diego State for in-state tuition ($8,711.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 74.1% higher at Iowa than San Diego State University ($30,674.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego State University than Iowa ($13,017 vs. $19,587)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Iowa are 71.8% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($11,476 vs. $19,714)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Iowa than San Diego State University (82% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Iowa students is 0.3% larger than aid received San Diego State University ($9,959 vs. $9,934)

San Diego State vs. Iowa Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Iowa (1164) is 34 points higher than at San Diego State (1130)
  • Incoming Iowa students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at San Diego State (25)
  • Accepted freshman San Diego State students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at Iowa (3.81)
  • Iowa has a higher acceptance rate (86%) than San Diego State (39.3%)

San Diego State vs. Iowa Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Diego State 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 San Diego State.

  • The graduation rate at Iowa is higher than San Diego State University (71% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from University of Iowa earn on average $6,400 more per year than San Diego State graduates after ten years. ($59,800 vs. $53,400)
  • San Diego State University students graduate with a $6,267 lower median federal student loan debt than Iowa graduates. ($15,349 vs. $21,616)
  • San Diego State graduates are paying $65 less per month on federal student loans than Iowa graduates. ($158 vs. $223)
  • More Iowa graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Diego State students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 65%)

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