Iowa: the complete school report for parents

What does Iowa actually weigh in admissions?

Iowa rates 3 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, test scores. It does not consider 10 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Iowa's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

64% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.86 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.42% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

What is the Iowa waitlist really like?

Iowa offered a place on its waiting list to 12 applicants and 1 accepted one. 1 were ultimately admitted. That is 100.0% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Iowa admitted 71.9% of 2,489 transfer applicants, against 79.9% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Iowa offers neither Early Decision nor Early Action, so there is no early round to strategize about and every applicant is read in one pool.

What will Iowa actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $22,531 a year at Iowa after grants and scholarships. The published price is not what most families pay.

What families at each income level actually paid:

51% of Iowa graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $32,536 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $239 a month in repayment. Iowa’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Iowa pay off?

Graduates earn a median $64,762 ten years after entering, and $52,696 at six years. 86% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 71% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$110,672 to $37,858, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Iowa:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

91% of first-years return for a second year. 61% graduate within four years and 76% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 64.1% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 79.4% of everyone else, a gap of 15.3 points.

How big are the classes?

49% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 6% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 16:1, and 88% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Higher Learning Commission.

What is life at Iowa like?

23,407 undergraduates. 22% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $63,769.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
• 64% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.86. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Iowa rates test scores Very Important, so a score at or above its middle-50 range is close to expected rather than optional.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 1 of 1 who waited were admitted, about 100%.
• Its highest-earning major returns $110,672 five years out against $37,858 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Iowa

Other schools families compare with Iowa

• ISU
  Admissions report · 87.9% admit rate
• University of Montana
  Admissions report · 95.2% admit rate
• UVM
  Admissions report · 73.0% admit rate
• URI
  Admissions report · 74.6% admit rate
• UAF
  Admissions report · 64.2% admit rate
• San Jose State University
  Admissions report · 80.4% admit rate