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The University of Iowa
Admissions

Interested in attending The University of Iowa?

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

84
%
Acceptance rate
3.78
Average High School GPA
1185
SAT Midpoint
May 1
Regular admission deadline
Test Optional
Testing

Admission Rates

Is it difficult to get into The University of Iowa?

84%

Using the most up-to-date data on record, Iowa accepted 84% of applicants. We classify this as less selective.

In the most recent year, 25,634 people applied and 21,746 were accepted.

Applied/Accepted
Women
12359 / 14209 (87%)
Men
9346 / 11425 (82%)

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 The University of Iowa:

100%
92.0
84.0
76.0
68.0
60.0
2022
2023
2024

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

23%
Enrollment of those accepted
Medium
Yield rate

Of those accepted, 23% ended up enrolling at The University of Iowa, 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 The University of Iowa by looking at what the school considers during the application process.

Here are the things Iowa considers:

Very Important

  • Academic GPA
  • Class Rank
  • Rigor of Secondary School Record
  • Standardized Test Scores

Considered

  • Character/Personal Qualities
  • Recommendation(s)
  • State Residency
  • Talent/Ability

Not Considered

  • Alumni/AE Relation
  • Application Essay
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • First Generation
  • Geographical Residence
  • Interview
  • Level of Applicant's Interest
  • Religious Affiliation/Commitment
  • Volunteer Work
  • Work Experience

Grades & Testing

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

3.78
Average High School GPA
1185
SAT Midpoint
Test Optional
Testing

Grades

Students who recently attended The University of Iowa as freshmen had an average unweighted high school GPA of 3.78. 33% of freshmen who attended Iowa were in the top 10% of their graduating high school class, and 68% were in the top 25% of their graduating high school class.

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

High School GPAs
4.00
33%
3.75-3.99
30%
3.50-3.74
18%
3.25-3.49
13%
3.00-3.24
5%
2.50-2.99
2%

Iowa is Test Optional. This means scores are considered if they are submitted, but applicants do not need to submit scores.

Applicants submitting SAT Scores

19%

Applicants submitting ACT Scores

59%
SAT Math Scores
25th Percentile
560
Math Mean
575
75th Percentile
660
SAT Verb Scores
25th Percentile
570
Verbal Mean
610
75th Percentile
660
SAT Composite Scores
25th Percentile
1130
Composite Mean
1185
75th Percentile
1310

Application Deadlines

These are the deadlines for applying to The University of Iowa. Application deadlines are subject to change, so please verify all deadlines with the school.

Regular Admissions

May 1
Regular admission deadline
August 1
Application notification
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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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