Iowa State University campus

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ISU Ratings and Reviews

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

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Ratings

ISU is rated within the top 38% of four-year colleges nationally and earns a CollegeSimply grade of 7 out of 10.

  • Overall Rating
    7 out of 10
  • Academics
    7 out of 10
  • Resources
    5 out of 10
  • Outcomes
    8 out of 10
  • Value
    8 out of 10
Learn how ratings are calculated

Student Review Summary

4.0

Approved reviews

4 student reviews

3 out of 4 (75%) reviewers rated 4 stars or higher

Students rate Campus Atmosphere highest and Value for Money lowest.

Rating snapshot

  • 5 stars
    2
  • 4 stars
    1
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    1
  • 1 star
    0

Average by category

  • Overall Rating
    4.0
  • Academics
    4.0
  • Value for Money
    3.0
  • Professors / Faculty
    3.5
  • Campus Atmosphere
    4.8
  • Housing
    3.2
  • Campus Safety
    3.5
  • Student Life
    3.8
  • Party and Bar Scene
    3.8

Student and Parent Reviews

If you are a student, former student, faculty member or parent, please help guide other prospective students by sharing your personal experiences at this college. What is it really like to go to Iowa State University?

Jul 29, 2022
Rating 5 out of 5

Iowa State offers a tremendous environment for student success and a wide array of various student experiences! I enjoyed my years at Iowa State and believe it is one of the best universities in the midwest!

Overall Rating
Academics
Value for Money
Professors / Faculty
Campus Atmosphere
Housing
Campus Safety
Dating and Social Life
Party and Bar Scene
Apr 5, 2022
Rating 5 out of 5

An incredible value, particularly if you major in anything engineering, science, or food/ ag related. Ability to get hands-on experience in labs is a big plus. Most professors are looking for help in the lab and will pay you. The food and dorms are decent. The party scene is typical midwest. 20 years out most of my classmates are corporate directors or vice presidents, so I'd say we got a high quality education.

Overall Rating
Academics
Value for Money
Professors / Faculty
Campus Atmosphere
Housing
Campus Safety
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Party and Bar Scene
Apr 24, 2018
Rating 2 out of 5

Hope you plan on your tuition increasing by $2-4,000 each year. Sure, our campus is pretty but you'll have to deal with constant construction. Our administration has a thing for hiking tuition to pay for new projects that mean nothing. Most professors suck at their jobs and every once in a while you will get someone who is most likely average somewhere else but looks like a god in comparison to the others here.

Overall Rating
Academics
Value for Money
Professors / Faculty
Campus Atmosphere
Housing
Campus Safety
Dating and Social Life
Party and Bar Scene
Dec 13, 2016
Rating 4 out of 5

Overall Rating
Academics
Value for Money
Professors / Faculty
Campus Atmosphere
Housing
Campus Safety
Dating and Social Life
Party and Bar Scene

Rate Iowa State University

Share your ratings for ISU across academics, campus life, and more to help prospective students understand what it's really like to attend.

Your Overall Experience *

If a friend asked whether ISU was worth it, what would your gut say?

Academics *

Did classes challenge you and leave you feeling like you actually learned something?

Value for Money *

Considering tuition, aid, and what you got out of it, did the cost feel justified?

Professors and Faculty *

Were instructors accessible, engaged, and invested in students or mostly going through the motions?

Campus Atmosphere *

Did the campus feel welcoming and full of energy, or more like a place you simply passed through?

Student Housing *

Were dorms and residence halls somewhere you'd want to live, or a constant source of frustration?

Campus Safety *

Did you feel comfortable walking around at night, or did safety ever weigh on your mind?

Student Life *

Was it easy to find your people, make friends, and stay socially connected?

Party and Bar Scene *

Do weekends have a pulse here, or does the social scene quiet down once classes end?

We will review your college review for suitability and publish it if approved. We reserve all rights to reject and edit reviews deemed incomplete, inappropriate or malicous or critical of individuals. By submitting this review you agree for it to be published on this website. Your full name will not be published.

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

Last updated: August 2026