Iowa vs. Kentucky

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

Iowa Kentucky
Location Iowa City, IA Lexington, KY
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 30,015 31,547
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #224 #408
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uiowa.edu uky.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Iowa Kentucky
Tuition (In State) $8,711 $11,496
Tuition (Out of State) $30,674 $30,913
Room & Board $11,476 $14,676
Avg Net Price $19,587 $18,693
Avg Grant Aid $9,959 $14,114
% Receiving Grant Aid 82% 94%

Admission

Iowa Kentucky
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,729 22,109
Admitted 22,128 20,979
Acceptance Rate 86% 94.9%
Enrolled % 23.4% 28.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.81 3.59
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/28 21/28
SAT Range 1130/1340 1070/1290
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2024 Feb 15, 2024

Academics

Iowa Kentucky
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (19%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)

Outcomes

Iowa Kentucky
Graduation Rate 71% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,800 $51,000
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,616 $22,750
Median Loan Payment $223 $235

Diversity

Iowa Kentucky
% Men 44% 40%
% Women 56% 60%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 67% 76%
% Black 3% 8%
% Hispanic 7% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 12% 3%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

Iowa Kentucky
% In-State 54% 61%
% Out-of-State 45% 37%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Kentucky is larger than than Iowa based on total student enrollment (31,547 students vs. 30,015 students)

Iowa vs. Kentucky Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Iowa or Kentucky?

  • University of Kentucky is 32% more expensive to attend than Iowa for in-state tuition ($11,496.00 vs. $8,711.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.8% higher at Kentucky than University of Iowa ($30,913.00 vs. $30,674.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Kentucky than Iowa ($18,693 vs. $19,587)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Iowa are 27.9% lower than costs at University of Kentucky ($11,476 vs. $14,676)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Kentucky than University of Iowa (94% vs. 82%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Kentucky students is 41.7% larger than aid received University of Iowa ($14,114 vs. $9,959)

Iowa vs. Kentucky Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Iowa (1164) is 21 points higher than at Kentucky (1143)
  • Incoming Iowa students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Kentucky (25)
  • Accepted freshman Iowa students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at Kentucky (3.59)
  • Kentucky has a higher acceptance rate (94.9%) than Iowa (86%)

Iowa vs. Kentucky Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Iowa is higher than University of Kentucky (71% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from University of Iowa earn on average $8,800 more per year than Kentucky graduates after ten years. ($59,800 vs. $51,000)
  • University of Iowa students graduate with a $1,134 lower median federal student loan debt than Kentucky graduates. ($21,616 vs. $22,750)
  • Iowa graduates are paying $12 less per month on federal student loans than Kentucky graduates. ($223 vs. $235)
  • More Iowa graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Kentucky students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 62%)

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