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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.

88
%
Acceptance rate
3.66
Average High School GPA
1260
SAT Midpoint

Admission Rates

Is it difficult to get into Iowa State University?

88%

Using the most up-to-date data on record, Iowa State accepted 88% of applicants. We classify this as less selective.

In the most recent year, 24,625 people applied and 21,652 were accepted.

Accepted/Applied
Women
10122 / 11460 (88%)
Men
11530 / 13165 (88%)

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
2024
2025
2026

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

24%
Enrollment of those accepted
Medium
Yield rate

Of those accepted, 24% 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:

Very Important

  • Academic GPA
  • Rigor of Secondary School Record

Important

  • Standardized Test Scores

Considered

  • Application Essay
  • Character/Personal Qualities
  • Class Rank
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Geographical Residence
  • Interview
  • Recommendation(s)
  • State Residency
  • Talent/Ability
  • Volunteer Work
  • Work Experience

Not Considered

  • Alumni/AE Relation
  • First Generation
  • Level of Applicant's Interest
  • Religious Affiliation/Commitment

Grades & Testing

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

3.66
Average High School GPA
1260
SAT Midpoint

Grades

Students who recently attended Iowa State University as freshmen had an average unweighted high school GPA of 3.66.

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

High School GPAs
4.00
31%
3.75-3.99
27%
3.50-3.74
18%
3.25-3.49
11%
3.00-3.24
7%
2.50-2.99
5%

Applicants submitting SAT Scores

13%

Applicants submitting ACT Scores

46%
SAT Math Scores
25th Percentile
570
Math Mean
630
75th Percentile
690
SAT Verb Scores
25th Percentile
580
Verbal Mean
630
75th Percentile
680
SAT Composite Scores
25th Percentile
1153
Composite Mean
1260
75th Percentile
1360
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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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