ISU Comparisons

  • 7/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Ames, IA
  • 4.0 4 reviews
#2 Best Public Universities in Iowa

Curious how Iowa State University stacks up against other colleges? Compare ISU to any three other US colleges using the College Simply compare tool, or compare with some of the pre-selected schools below.

Frequently Compared

These similar colleges are most often compared with Iowa State University by students and parents using CollegeSimply.

Compare with Iowa Public Colleges

Compare with Iowa Public Colleges for Iowa State University
College In-state tuition Acceptance rate Compare
University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

$496 higher in-state tuition 5% lower acceptance rate Compare
University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

$851 lower in-state tuition 4% higher acceptance rate Compare

Compare with Iowa Private Colleges

Compare with Iowa Private Colleges for Iowa State University
College In-state tuition Acceptance rate Compare
Drake University

Des Moines, IA

$41,343 higher in-state tuition 25% lower acceptance rate Compare
Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA

$57,319 higher in-state tuition 74% lower acceptance rate Compare
Cornell College

Mount Vernon, IA

$41,873 higher in-state tuition 9% lower acceptance rate Compare
Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA

$43,879 higher in-state tuition 25% lower acceptance rate Compare
Luther College

Decorah, IA

$41,333 higher in-state tuition 17% lower acceptance rate Compare
Simpson College

Indianola, IA

$36,869 higher in-state tuition 3% lower acceptance rate Compare
Dordt University

Sioux Center, IA

$26,263 higher in-state tuition 21% lower acceptance rate Compare
Emmaus Bible College

Dubuque, IA

$10,013 higher in-state tuition 29% lower acceptance rate Compare

Compare with Regional Public Colleges

Compare with Regional Public Colleges for Iowa State University
College In-state tuition Acceptance rate Compare
$816 higher in-state tuition 44% lower acceptance rate Compare
$5,217 higher in-state tuition 47% lower acceptance rate Compare
$3,551 higher in-state tuition 12% lower acceptance rate Compare
$6,427 higher in-state tuition 9% lower acceptance rate Compare
$3,823 higher in-state tuition 0% higher acceptance rate Compare
University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

$1,315 higher in-state tuition 4% higher acceptance rate Compare
$353 lower in-state tuition 2% lower acceptance rate Compare
$4,050 higher in-state tuition 11% lower acceptance rate Compare
Truman State University

Kirksville, MO

$949 lower in-state tuition 5% lower acceptance rate Compare
$1,800 higher in-state tuition 17% lower acceptance rate Compare
$3,325 higher in-state tuition 26% lower acceptance rate Compare
$4,197 higher in-state tuition 16% lower acceptance rate Compare
$4,229 higher in-state tuition 18% lower acceptance rate Compare
$1,355 lower in-state tuition 10% higher acceptance rate Compare
$1,827 lower in-state tuition 8% higher acceptance rate Compare
$1,133 lower in-state tuition 1% lower acceptance rate Compare

Compare with Regional Private Colleges

Compare with Regional Private Colleges for Iowa State University
College In-state tuition Acceptance rate Compare
$42,923 higher in-state tuition 7% lower acceptance rate Compare
DePaul University

Chicago, IL

$35,212 higher in-state tuition 13% lower acceptance rate Compare
Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI

$40,383 higher in-state tuition 8% lower acceptance rate Compare
Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL

$34,759 higher in-state tuition 2% lower acceptance rate Compare
Bradley University

Peoria, IL

$31,373 higher in-state tuition 12% lower acceptance rate Compare
$38,069 higher in-state tuition 9% lower acceptance rate Compare
Carleton College

Northfield, MN

$58,105 higher in-state tuition 69% lower acceptance rate Compare
Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN

$37,663 higher in-state tuition 0% higher acceptance rate Compare
St Olaf College

Northfield, MN

$48,973 higher in-state tuition 41% lower acceptance rate Compare
Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO

$44,973 higher in-state tuition 14% lower acceptance rate Compare
$41,599 higher in-state tuition 34% lower acceptance rate Compare
Macalester College

Saint Paul, MN

$57,317 higher in-state tuition 60% lower acceptance rate Compare
University of St Thomas

Saint Paul, MN

$43,611 higher in-state tuition 4% lower acceptance rate Compare
North Central College

Naperville, IL

$34,939 higher in-state tuition 12% lower acceptance rate Compare
$39,693 higher in-state tuition 30% lower acceptance rate Compare
Augsburg University

Minneapolis, MN

$34,665 higher in-state tuition 7% lower acceptance rate Compare
Hamline University

Saint Paul, MN

$39,217 higher in-state tuition 1% lower acceptance rate Compare
Beloit College

Beloit, WI

$50,099 higher in-state tuition 26% lower acceptance rate Compare
$46,917 higher in-state tuition 50% lower acceptance rate Compare
Drury University

Springfield, MO

$25,958 higher in-state tuition 31% lower acceptance rate Compare
Webster University

Saint Louis, MO

$20,963 higher in-state tuition 3% lower acceptance rate Compare
Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL

$45,615 higher in-state tuition 32% lower acceptance rate Compare
Augustana University

Sioux Falls, SD

$29,373 higher in-state tuition 21% lower acceptance rate Compare
Bethel University

Saint Paul, MN

$33,439 higher in-state tuition 1% lower acceptance rate Compare
$25,153 higher in-state tuition 6% higher acceptance rate Compare
Lawrence University

Appleton, WI

$46,195 higher in-state tuition 25% lower acceptance rate Compare
Viterbo University

La Crosse, WI

$23,463 higher in-state tuition 17% lower acceptance rate Compare
$34,697 higher in-state tuition 41% lower acceptance rate Compare
Benedictine College

Atchison, KS

$25,563 higher in-state tuition 9% higher acceptance rate Compare
$30,991 higher in-state tuition 4% higher acceptance rate Compare
Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, IL

$9,818 higher in-state tuition 4% lower acceptance rate Compare
Knox College

Galesburg, IL

$47,116 higher in-state tuition 18% lower acceptance rate Compare
Saint Norbert College

De Pere, WI

$34,793 higher in-state tuition 3% lower acceptance rate Compare
$32,785 higher in-state tuition 9% lower acceptance rate Compare
$23,003 higher in-state tuition 16% lower acceptance rate Compare
$16,093 higher in-state tuition 16% lower acceptance rate Compare

Compare with National Colleges

Compare with National Colleges for Iowa State University
College In-state tuition Acceptance rate Compare
Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

$5,671 higher in-state tuition 4% lower acceptance rate Compare
$4,419 lower in-state tuition 49% lower acceptance rate Compare
Auburn University

Auburn, AL

$2,103 higher in-state tuition 43% lower acceptance rate Compare
$3,025 higher in-state tuition 47% lower acceptance rate Compare
University of Houston

Houston, TX

$1,070 lower in-state tuition 15% lower acceptance rate Compare
$1,901 higher in-state tuition 29% lower acceptance rate Compare
$6,023 higher in-state tuition 18% lower acceptance rate Compare
$3,433 higher in-state tuition 2% lower acceptance rate Compare
$5,350 higher in-state tuition 1% lower acceptance rate Compare
James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

$3,463 higher in-state tuition 17% lower acceptance rate Compare
University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT

$1,167 lower in-state tuition 3% lower acceptance rate Compare
University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY

$149 higher in-state tuition 15% lower acceptance rate Compare
$3,189 higher in-state tuition 4% lower acceptance rate Compare
Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS

$585 lower in-state tuition 11% lower acceptance rate Compare
Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA

$1,167 higher in-state tuition 16% lower acceptance rate Compare

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=153603.

Last updated: August 2026