ISU Admission Requirements

How hard is it to get into ISU and can I get accepted? The school has a 89% acceptance rate ranking it #28 in Iowa for lowest rate of acceptance. Last year, 17,208 out of 19,262 applicants were admitted making Iowa State University an easy school to get into with a very good chance of acceptance assuming you meet the requirements.  Academically, it has very high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 28 percent. Iowa State University typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students. Only 35% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top quarter of their high school class.

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SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to Iowa State University?

Iowa State University typically requires applicants to be in the top 20 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1230 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1110. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1350 out of 1600. The school ranks #2 in Iowa for highest average SAT composite score. 9 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school. Note: SAT scores presented on this page have been adjusted upwards per the College Board's concordance tables for test takers after March 2016.

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into ISU?

Admission data indicates that ISU regularly accepts students with ACT's of 22 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 37 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 19 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 25 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 28 and above have very competitive chances. The school ranks #6 in Iowa for highest average ACT composite score. Scoring well on the ACT is very important as 90 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to Iowa State University.

You will need very good grades in high school to get into Iowa State University. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Iowa State University was 3.6 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #6 in Iowa for highest average GPA. If your high school grades are above the average 3.6 GPA, you have a very good chance of being admitted as ISU accepts 89% of all applicants.

 What do these ratings mean?

56% of Iowa State University freshman were in the top twenty five percent of their high school graduating class.

What are the requirements for admission to Iowa State University and what considerations affect admission decisions?