University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa · Public, a small city · 22,264 undergraduates
Counsellors: add notes to this page for a student
Is it hard to get into Iowa?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
83.6%
25,682 applied
SAT, middle half
1130 to 1330
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
21 to 28
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
23% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Class rankConsidered
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
- RecommendationsConsidered
- EssayConsidered
- PortfolioConsidered
How much does Iowa cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees, Iowa residents
$11,622
Tuition and fees, out of state
$33,710
A full year, sticker price
$29,219
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$22,508
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $15,353 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $15,374 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $17,179 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $22,278 |
| Over $110,000 | $26,721 |
- Room and board on campus
- $13,680 a year
- Books and supplies
- $950 a year
- The school's own grants
- 70% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $8,745
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do Iowa students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$21,262
About $242 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
41.4%
Get a Pell Grant
20.2%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
5%
What do Iowa graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$55,641
Ten years after starting
$70,727
Middle half: $49,622 to $101,324
Best-paid program, five years out
$117,577
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$37,193
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Do Iowa students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
90.4%
Graduate in six years
75.8%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
72% graduated
17% transferred, 0% still enrolled
Who goes to Iowa?
Women
56.6%
First in their family at college
22.3%
Part-time
5%
Students per teacher
16
- Background
- White 74%, Hispanic 9%, Black 3%, Asian 4%, Two or more 4%, International 1%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 6,553 beds
What do Iowa graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 44 | $56,597 | $96,992 | Hidden |
| Computer Science | 195 | $70,437 | Hidden | $20,485 |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 187 | $67,558 | $93,859 | $27,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | 80 | $76,099 | $99,885 | $26,900 |
| Civil Engineering | 93 | $70,997 | $83,920 | $26,494 |
| Computer Engineering | 103 | $81,533 | Hidden | $24,108 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 67 | $80,651 | $117,577 | $27,000 |
| Engineering, General | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 21 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Industrial Engineering | 78 | $76,637 | $106,192 | $25,125 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 196 | $75,734 | $94,831 | $26,774 |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | 289 | $73,222 | $98,068 | $20,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 379 | $52,882 | $69,587 | $20,500 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 786 | $67,881 | $94,395 | $21,487 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 335 | $57,725 | $81,696 | $22,500 |
| Insurance | 56 | Hidden | Hidden | $19,250 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 392 | $68,531 | $95,127 | $20,500 |
| Marketing | 567 | $60,672 | $83,962 | $21,500 |
Nursing
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 461 | $76,816 | $78,974 | $19,742 |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 99 | $69,209 | $70,835 | $26,929 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 146 | $31,028 | $63,963 | $23,687 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Public Health | 126 | $41,739 | Hidden | $22,500 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 28 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 1,046 | $41,856 | $67,413 | $21,500 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 69 | $43,576 | $69,002 | $22,898 |
| Biology, General | 230 | $38,395 | $69,014 | $22,500 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 54 | Hidden | $76,055 | $25,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 105 | $37,501 | $63,582 | $24,250 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 128 | $37,558 | Hidden | $22,964 |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 12 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Chemistry | 88 | $44,774 | $62,803 | $19,750 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 28 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 125 | $64,513 | $77,631 | $17,239 |
| Physics | 41 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Statistics | 36 | $62,172 | Hidden | Hidden |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 12 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 105 | $41,897 | $52,795 | $25,250 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | 288 | $32,549 | $45,596 | $21,500 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 118 | $36,914 | $50,319 | $24,847 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 40 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 33 | $39,032 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 84 | $35,221 | $58,877 | $22,500 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 7 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Education (teaching)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 288 | $44,530 | $50,671 | $25,975 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 170 | $44,488 | Hidden | $25,076 |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 32 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 102 | Hidden | $37,193 | $20,907 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 114 | $30,998 | $59,096 | $19,125 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 191 | $36,862 | $50,617 | $22,750 |
| Music | 115 | $43,865 | $50,329 | $25,250 |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Sciences | 625 | $39,798 | Hidden | $19,500 |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | 35 | Hidden | Hidden | $27,000 |
| Data Science | 20 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| International/Globalization Studies | 32 | $24,968 | $53,018 | Hidden |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 393 | $46,502 | $63,299 | $22,412 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | 69 | Hidden | Hidden | $18,744 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 215 | $45,726 | $67,384 | $23,500 |
| Systems Science and Theory | 22 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Other programs
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | 55 | $45,819 | $60,100 | $23,250 |
Compare Iowa with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with University of Iowa. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences