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Iowa State University
Admissions

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Interested in attending Iowa State University?

On this page, you'll learn how difficult it is to get into Iowa State University, we'll dig into high school grades and test scores, and you'll find out the factors the school considers when reviewing applications.

89
%
Acceptance rate
3.7
Average High School GPA
1250
SAT Midpoint

Admission Rates

Is it difficult to get into Iowa State University?

89%

Using the most up-to-date data on record, Iowa State accepted 89% of applicants. We classify this as less selective.

In the most recent year, 23,095 people applied and 20,475 were accepted.

Accepted/Applied
Women
9941 / 11240 (88%)
Men
10534 / 11855 (89%)

Acceptance rates at colleges can change over time, with some becoming more competitive and others accepting more students. Here’s a look at the acceptance rate trend for the past 3 years at Iowa State University:

100%
92.0
84.0
76.0
68.0
60.0
2023
2024
2025

Acceptance rates at schools can vary depending on if the student is in-state, out-of-state, or international.

28%
Enrollment of those accepted
Medium
Yield rate

Of those accepted, 28% ended up enrolling at Iowa State University, making their yield rate Medium. The yield rate is the percentage of accepted students who enroll at the school. You can use the yield rate to find out how coveted a school is for the students who apply to it.

Application Factors

You can increase your chances of getting into Iowa State University by looking at what the school considers during the application process.

Here are the things Iowa State considers:

Considered

  • Academic GPA
  • Alumni/AE Relation
  • Application Essay
  • Character/Personal Qualities
  • Class Rank
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • First Generation
  • Geographical Residence
  • Interview
  • Level of Applicant's Interest
  • Recommendation(s)
  • Religious Affiliation/Commitment
  • Rigor of Secondary School Record
  • Standardized Test Scores
  • State Residency
  • Talent/Ability
  • Volunteer Work
  • Work Experience

Grades & Testing

Do you have the grades and test scores to get into Iowa State University?

3.7
Average High School GPA
1250
SAT Midpoint

Grades

Students who recently attended Iowa State University as freshmen had an average unweighted high school GPA of 3.7.

These are the high school grade point averages (unweighted) of students who enroll:

High School GPAs
4.00
31%
3.75-3.99
28%
3.50-3.74
18%
3.25-3.49
11%
3.00-3.24
7%
2.50-2.99
5%

Applicants submitting SAT Scores

10%

Applicants submitting ACT Scores

51%
SAT Math Scores
25th Percentile
560
Math Mean
630
75th Percentile
690
SAT Verb Scores
25th Percentile
560
Verbal Mean
620
75th Percentile
670
SAT Composite Scores
25th Percentile
1130
Composite Mean
1250
75th Percentile
1350
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CollegeIQ® relies on data from government and private resources. Always confer with the individual college or university for the most recent data. Learn more about our data and methodology.

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