Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Official website ↗
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.
Quick summary
| Cost per year | not yet determined — public universities publish in-state costs; international students pay more. |
|---|---|
| Money from the college | Need-based aid: not yet determined. Merit scholarships: international students can receive them. 6 named scholarship(s) confirmed open to international students. |
| Chances of admission | less selective: about 1 in 1 applicants is admitted. Middle half of admitted students scored SAT 1120–1360. English minimum: IELTS 6, TOEFL (1–6) 4, TOEFL 71, Duolingo 105. |
| Application deadlines | not yet determined |
| Where and how students live | Ames, IA · Small city · summer highs about 29°C, winter lows about -12°C · 55 km from DSM airport |
| Housing | not yet determined |
| Working while studying | not yet determined |
| After graduation | not yet determined |
Plain-language summary of the verified details below. Where it says “not yet determined”, we have not found it on an official page yet.
Financial aid & requirements for international students
| Aid & admission for international applicants | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|---|
| Meets full financial need | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| Merit scholarships | Yes — international students can receive merit scholarshipsSources (1)“Iowa State University offers merit scholarships to both first-year and transfer international students.”www.iastate.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| Forms for international aid applicants | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| Must request aid when applying? | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| SAT / ACT policy | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| English proficiency | English test required unless an exemption applies
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 |
| Conditional admission / English pathway | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Scholarships for first-year students
President's Award
$14,000 / year
- Who can receive it: All applicants, including international students
- Amount: $14,000 / year
- How to apply: Automatic — considered with your admission application
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 2026-11-10Dean's Award
$12,000 / year
- Who can receive it: All applicants, including international students
- Amount: $12,000 / year
- How to apply: Automatic — considered with your admission application
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 2026-11-10Award of Achievement
$5,000–$10,000 / year
- Who can receive it: All applicants, including international students
- Amount: $5,000–$10,000 / year
- How to apply: Separate scholarship application
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 2026-11-10Innovator's Award
$10,000 / year
- Who can receive it: All applicants, including international students
- Amount: $10,000 / year
- Minimum grades / scores: GPA 3.7+
- How to apply: Automatic — considered with your admission application
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 2026-11-10Launchpad Award
$6,000 / year
- Who can receive it: All applicants, including international students
- Amount: $6,000 / year
- Minimum grades / scores: GPA 3.5+
- How to apply: Automatic — considered with your admission application
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 2026-11-10Award of Distinction
$2,000–$4,000 / year
- Who can receive it: All applicants, including international students
- Amount: $2,000–$4,000 / year
- How to apply: Separate scholarship application
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 2026-11-10Deadlines (fall 2027 entry)
| Application deadlines | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|
Dates as published by the college; check the official page for time zones and supporting-document deadlines.
Costs for international students
| Student health insurance | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|---|
| Proof of funds for the I-20 | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Earnings by field of study
| Field | After 1 year | After 4 years |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $83,366 | $105,753 |
| Computer Science | $81,601 | $104,211 |
| Construction Engineering | $79,703 | $100,676 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $81,522 | $99,705 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $79,517 | $94,089 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | — | $93,379 |
| Industrial Engineering | $78,621 | $92,914 |
| Chemical Engineering | $79,106 | $92,773 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $74,047 | $88,576 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | — | $87,413 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $77,031 | $85,938 |
| Civil Engineering | $75,489 | $85,427 |
Median yearly earnings of graduates of this college's bachelor's programme in each field, 1 and 4 years after finishing. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). Only graduates who received U.S. federal student aid are counted, so international students are not included.
Location
| City / state | Ames, IA |
|---|---|
| Setting | Small city |
| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM), about 55 km in a straight line |
| Map | View on OpenStreetMap ↗ |
Setting from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard); airport from OurAirports (public-domain data).
Climate
| Warmest month (Jul) | average high 29°C (84°F) |
|---|---|
| Coldest month (Jan) | average low -12°C (11°F) |
| Precipitation per year | 912 mm |
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | -2° | 1° | 8° | 16° | 22° | 27° | 29° | 28° | 24° | 17° | 8° | 1° |
| Low °C | -12° | -9° | -3° | 3° | 10° | 15° | 17° | 16° | 10° | 4° | -3° | -9° |
| Rain mm | 16 | 20 | 50 | 99 | 131 | 133 | 113 | 123 | 84 | 70 | 48 | 27 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at the Ames Muni Ap, Ia Us weather station, about 5 km from campus. Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals.
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.