UC Riverside vs. ISU

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

UC Riverside ISU
Location Riverside, CA Ames, IA
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 26,809 29,969
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #352
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu iastate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UC Riverside ISU
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $8,678
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $25,162
Room & Board $17,333 $9,358
Avg Net Price $14,487 $15,310
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $11,043
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 80%

Admission

UC Riverside ISU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 21,919
Admitted 37,563 19,776
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 90.2%
Enrolled % 14.8% 29%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 21/28
SAT Range 1080/1280 1090/1350
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

Academics

UC Riverside ISU
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

UC Riverside ISU
Graduation Rate 67% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $23,868
Median Loan Payment $197 $246

Diversity

UC Riverside ISU
% Men 49% 55%
% Women 51% 45%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 13% 76%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 36% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 4% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

UC Riverside ISU
% In-State 94% 52%
% Out-of-State 2% 45%

Campus

UC Riverside 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

  • Iowa State University is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (29,969 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Riverside vs. ISU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or ISU?

  • University of California Riverside is 33.3% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $8,678.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 65.5% higher at UC Riverside than Iowa State University ($41,636.00 vs. $25,162.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than ISU ($14,487 vs. $15,310)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 85.2% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($9,358 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Iowa State University than University of California Riverside (80% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 99.6% larger than aid received Iowa State University ($22,042 vs. $11,043)

UC Riverside vs. ISU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Iowa State University (1142) is 23 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at ISU (25)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at ISU (3.7)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than UC Riverside (68.7%)

UC Riverside vs. ISU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside 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 UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at ISU is higher than University of California Riverside (68% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from Iowa State University earn on average $1,500 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $52,200)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $4,759 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($19,109 vs. $23,868)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($197 vs. $246)
  • More ISU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 65%)

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