Iowa State vs University of North Dakota (UND)

Iowa State University and University of North Dakota, both public research universities, offer distinct educational experiences. Iowa State, located in Ames, Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate (84%) compared to UND's 80%. With a larger student body, Iowa State offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, including popular majors like engineering, agriculture, and business. UND, situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota, excels in fields such as aviation, education, and nursing. While Iowa State's student body is more diverse, UND has a higher graduation rate (68% vs. 66%). Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Iowa State University logo

Iowa State University

University of North Dakota logo

University of North Dakota

Overview

Location Ames, Iowa Grand Forks, North Dakota
Campus setting City: Small City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 88.0% 77.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 91.1% 89.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $35
SAT range 1083 - 1330 1110 - 1290
ACT range 21 - 28 20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score 13.0% 6.0%
Students submitting ACT score 63.0% 59.0%
Total number of applicants 20,357 5,962
Total number of admissions given out 18,550 5,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll 5,387 1,755
Yield rate 29.0% 33.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $22,152

Out of state: $37,964
In state: $24,764

Out of state: $29,205
Average net price $15,422 $17,425
Tuition
In state: $8,324

Out of state: $24,136
In state: $8,882

Out of state: $13,323
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,590

Meal plan: $4,498
Room/dormitory: $4,770

Meal plan: $5,152
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

87.0%
Average amount $8,833
83.0%
Average amount $5,576
Students receiving federal student loan 47.0%
Average amount $5,202
55.0%
Average amount $5,142
Students taking out private loans 11.0%
Average amount $11,630
24.0%
Average amount $15,124

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 25,808
Men 56.1% Women 43.9%
9,718
Men 56.6% Women 43.4%
Graduate students 4,900
Men 50.6% Women 49.4%
4,054
Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 60.5%
International students 8.2% 6.8%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 9,400 4,588
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A North Dakota Minnesota California Wisconsin Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 76.0% 61.8%
Dropout rate 6.1% 9.4%
Transferred out 16.7% 26.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,739
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $101,292
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,956
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $95,081
Industrial Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,120
  • Year 2: $89,059
  • Year 3: $92,521
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,573
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $85,108
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,299
  • Year 2: $73,321
  • Year 3: $83,452
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,598
  • Year 2: $73,839
  • Year 3: $83,292
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,184
  • Year 2: $71,734
  • Year 3: $81,196
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,223
  • Year 2: $70,680
  • Year 3: $79,916
Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,580
  • Year 2: $70,083
  • Year 3: $77,479
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,534
  • Year 2: $67,156
  • Year 3: $76,113
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,600
  • Year 2: $107,376
  • Year 3: $116,029
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,048
  • Year 2: $101,645
  • Year 3: $112,295
Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,111
  • Year 2: $72,762
  • Year 3: $94,157
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,951
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $80,971
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,457
  • Year 2: $66,325
  • Year 3: $79,432
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,521
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $78,447
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,317
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $75,504
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,166
  • Year 2: $64,608
  • Year 3: $73,223
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,089
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $70,144
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,206
  • Year 2: $55,547
  • Year 3: $69,655

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