UCF vs. Iowa

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

UCF Iowa
Location Orlando, FL Iowa City, IA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 68,346 30,015
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #379 #224
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucf.edu uiowa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UCF Iowa
Tuition (In State) $4,478 $8,711
Tuition (Out of State) $19,810 $30,674
Room & Board $11,498 $11,476
Avg Net Price $13,108 $19,587
Avg Grant Aid $9,986 $9,959
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 82%

Admission

UCF Iowa
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,977 25,729
Admitted 22,560 22,128
Acceptance Rate 41% 86%
Enrolled % 33.3% 23.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 3.81
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/29 22/28
SAT Range 1200/1360 1130/1340
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2024 May 1, 2024

Academics

UCF Iowa
Student to Faculty Ratio 29:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (5%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

UCF Iowa
Graduation Rate 63% 71%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,900 $59,800
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,270 $21,616
Median Loan Payment $188 $223

Diversity

UCF Iowa
% Men 45% 44%
% Women 55% 56%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 53% 67%
% Black 11% 3%
% Hispanic 24% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 12%
% Unknown Race 1% 4%

Students

UCF Iowa
% In-State 91% 54%
% Out-of-State 9% 45%

Campus

UCF 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

  • University of Central Florida is larger than than Iowa based on total student enrollment (68,346 students vs. 30,015 students)

UCF vs. Iowa Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCF or Iowa?

  • University of Iowa is 94.5% more expensive to attend than UCF for in-state tuition ($8,711.00 vs. $4,478.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 54.8% higher at Iowa than University of Central Florida ($30,674.00 vs. $19,810.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Central Florida than Iowa ($13,108 vs. $19,587)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Iowa are 0.2% lower than costs at University of Central Florida ($11,476 vs. $11,498)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Central Florida than University of Iowa (93% vs. 82%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Central Florida students is 0.3% larger than aid received University of Iowa ($9,986 vs. $9,959)

UCF vs. Iowa Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Central Florida (1179) is 15 points higher than at Iowa (1164)
  • Incoming UCF students have at the same average ACT score (26) as students at Iowa (26)
  • Accepted freshman Iowa students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at UCF (3.64)
  • Iowa has a higher acceptance rate (86%) than UCF (41%)

UCF vs. Iowa Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCF 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 UCF.

  • The graduation rate at Iowa is higher than University of Central Florida (71% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from University of Iowa earn on average $10,900 more per year than UCF graduates after ten years. ($59,800 vs. $48,900)
  • University of Central Florida students graduate with a $3,346 lower median federal student loan debt than Iowa graduates. ($18,270 vs. $21,616)
  • UCF graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Iowa graduates. ($188 vs. $223)
  • More Iowa graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCF students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 59%)

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