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Home › Colleges › Iowa State University

Iowa State University

Ames, IA · Official website ↗

Public universityResearch university6 scholarships listed
89%
Admission rate
25,367
Undergraduates
$30,140
Tuition (U.S. out-of-state)
$24,539
Cost of attendance / yr
$67,568
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
1120–1360
SAT, middle 50% (approx.)
21–28
ACT, middle 50%

Public university: the tuition shown is the rate for U.S. students from other states. International students usually pay this rate or more, and need extra funds for health insurance and visa costs — check the college's international cost page.

Reference only. Automatically checked against the college's official pages on 2026-11-10; maintained by Jordan Lee, editor. Colleges can change policies at any time — confirm on the official page before you apply. Spotted an error? Tell us.

Financial aid & requirements for international students

Merit scholarshipsYes — international students can receive merit scholarships
Sources (1)
“Iowa State University offers merit scholarships to both first-year and transfer international students.”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
English proficiencyEnglish test required unless an exemption applies
  • TOEFL iBT (new 1–6 scale): 4
  • TOEFL iBT (old 0–120 scale): 71
  • IELTS overall: 6
  • Duolingo English Test: 105
Sources (5)
“International students can meet Iowa State's English proficiency requirement for admission by achieving a satisfactory score on one of the following exams or by qualifying under one of the categories outlined below:”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“International students meeting any of the following criteria will be considered to have fulfilled the requirement: Those residing in a country where English is a primary official language and who are native English speakers”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“71 IBT with a 17 or above on the Speaking and Writing sections or 4.0 with a minimum band of 3.5 on the 6.0 scale (starting 1/21/2026)”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“IELTS 6.0 overall score with all subscores 5.5 or above”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“The minimum Duolingo English proficiency score for applicants is 105.”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10

Scholarships for first-year students

President's Award

MeritOpen to international studentsAutomatic consideration
$14,000 / year
Sources (2)
“President's Award $56,000 $14,000 Yes See calculator below”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“Automatically awarded to admitted international first-year students based on high school GPA and, for some awards, SAT/ACT scores.”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10

Dean's Award

MeritOpen to international studentsAutomatic consideration
$12,000 / year
Sources (2)
“Dean's Award $48,000 $12,000 Yes See calculator below”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“Automatically awarded to admitted international first-year students based on high school GPA and, for some awards, SAT/ACT scores.”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10

Award of Achievement

MeritOpen to international studentsSeparate application
$5,000–$10,000 / year
Sources (2)
“Award of Achievement Up to $40,000 $5,000–$10,000”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“To be considered for an International Merit Scholarship, students must complete the OneApp scholarship application.”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10

Innovator's Award

MeritOpen to international studentsGPA 3.7+Automatic consideration
$10,000 / year
Sources (2)
“Innovator's Award $40,000 $10,000 No Minimum 3.70”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“Automatically awarded to admitted international first-year students based on high school GPA and, for some awards, SAT/ACT scores.”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10

Launchpad Award

MeritOpen to international studentsGPA 3.5+Automatic consideration
$6,000 / year
Sources (2)
“Launchpad Award $24,000 $6,000 No 3.50–3.69”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“Automatically awarded to admitted international first-year students based on high school GPA and, for some awards, SAT/ACT scores.”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10

Award of Distinction

MeritOpen to international studentsSeparate application
$2,000–$4,000 / year
Sources (2)
“Award of Distinction Up to $16,000 $2,000–$4,000”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10
“To be considered for an International Merit Scholarship, students must complete the OneApp scholarship application.”
www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10

Location

City / stateAmes, IA
SettingSmall city
Nearest major airportDes Moines International Airport (DSM), about 55 km in a straight line
MapView on OpenStreetMap ↗

Setting from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard); airport from OurAirports (public-domain data).

Cost, admission rate, test-score ranges and earnings come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). SAT range adds the 25th/75th-percentile section scores, so it is approximate. Scorecard earnings are for federal-aid recipients.

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