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#2 Best Public Universities in Iowa

ISU Tuition & Cost

Ames, Iowa

 4 Reviews

How much does it cost to attend?

In State Iowa Resident Sticker Price
$22,152
In State Costs for Iowa State University
Fee Cost
Tuition$8,324
Books and Supplies$1,000
Other Fees$1,310
Room and Board $9,088
Other Expenses Budget$2,430
Out of State Resident Sticker Price
$37,964
Out of State Costs for Iowa State University
Fee Cost
Tuition$24,136
Books and Supplies$1,000
Other Fees$1,310
Room and Board $9,088
Other Expenses Budget$2,430

Residents of Iowa pay an annual total price of $22,152 to attend Iowa State University on a full time basis. This fee is comprised of $8,324 for tuition, $9,088 room and board, $1,000 for books and supplies and $1,310 for other fees.

Out of state residents are charged a total cost of $37,964 which is 71.4% higher than Iowa residents. The tuition charge is $24,136 while room and board is $9,088, books and supplies are $1,000 and other fees come in at $1,310.

All price data is sourced from the 2021/2022 U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics survey.

Net Price

Net price is indicative of what it actually costs to attend Iowa State University when typical grants and scholarships are considered. The net price varies by family income and financial need.

Average Net Price 2019/2020
$16,105
Net Price by Income Iowa State University
Family Income Net Price Paid
$0 to $30,000$9,766
$30,001 to $48,000$11,427
$48,001 to $75,000$14,641
$75,001 to $110,000$17,806
$110,000+$19,491

The average reported annual net price for Iowa State University for students receiving grants or scholarship aid was $16,105 in 2019/2020. Net price includes tuition and required fees, books and supplies, and average cost for room and board and other expenses

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Financial Aid

91% of full-time undergrad Iowa State University received financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, fellowships from the institution or from Federal, State or local government agencies. This aid averaged $8,287 per student during the 2019/2020 school year. Grant and scholarship aid does not need to be paid back. 50% of students received Federal Student Loans averaging $5,142 and 13% of undergrads took out private student loans averaging $11,299.

Finanical Aid Iowa State University
Type Avg./Student Students Receiving
Total Grant and Scholarship Aid $8,287 91%
Institutional Grants and Scholarships $6,992 83%
Pell Grants $4,558 20%
Other Federal Grants $1,561 23%
State and Local Grants $4,334 1%
Federal Student Loans $5,142 50%
Other Student Loans $11,299 13%

Student Loans

To gauge a more realistic picture of what it may really cost you out of pocket to go to Iowa State University, we've modeled a ten year student loan with an original principal value of $54,216. The loan balance of $54,216 is a four year multiple of the $13,554 average net price. This is a estimate of what you could owe upon graduation if you were to qualify for average financial aid and what a degree really may cost. Should you not qualify for financial aid, you may owe significantly more when you graduate. Based on these assumptions, a monthly repayment of $517 could be required to satisfy your student loan.

Please note that financial aid is not guaranteed and is only available for qualifying students. Federal Student Loans are not grants and must be repaid with interest. The current Stafford loan interest rate is 2.75%.

Example Loan $54,216
Stafford Loan Interest Rate 2.75%
Time to Pay Off Student Loan 10 years
Example Monthly Payment $517.28
Total Interest Paid $7,857.65
Sum of All Loan Payments $62,073.65

Projected 4 Year Degree Price

4 Year Sticker Price
$88,608
Year Iowa Residents Non Residents
1 $22,152 $37,964
2 $22,917 $39,275
3 $23,709 $40,632
4 $24,528 $42,036

Based on published tuition prices, we estimate the current cost of a 4 year bachelor's degree and living expenses at Iowa State University to be $88,608 - assuming graduation in normal time. The estimation assumes a 3.5% annual increase over the next 4 years which has been the recent trend for this school.

Credit Hour Cost and Price per Class

Credit Hour and Class Costs at Iowa State University
Price Per Credit 3 Credit Class 4 Credit Class
Iowa Residents $348 $1,044 $1,392
Out of State Residents $1,006 $3,018 $4,024

Estimated cost for a class at Iowa State University based on published credit hour prices. Note that not all schools allow single class enrollment. These prices should be used for comparison purposes as to how much it may cost to take a class at Iowa State University versus other colleges.

Tuition Payment Plans Available

Iowa State University Payment Plans
Tuition Payment Plan No
Prepaid Tuition Plan No
Alternative Tuition Plan No
Guaranteed Tuition Plan No
Costs for Similar Colleges 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=153603 IPEDS survey data for Iowa State University.