Oregon State vs Iowa State

Oregon State University and Iowa State University, both esteemed public research universities, offer distinct educational experiences. Oregon State, nestled in the picturesque Willamette Valley, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a more diverse student body, while Iowa State, situated in the vibrant city of Ames, excels in agricultural sciences and engineering. With varying graduation rates and popular majors, these universities cater to different academic interests and career aspirations. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your unique goals and preferences.
Iowa State University logo

Iowa State University

Oregon State University logo

Oregon State University

Overview

Location Ames, Iowa Corvallis, Oregon
Campus setting City: Small City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 88.0% 87.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 91.1% 89.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1083 - 1330 1120 - 1370
ACT range 21 - 28 21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 13.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 63.0% 13.0%
Total number of applicants 20,357 23,188
Total number of admissions given out 18,550 20,687
Admitted students who chose to enroll 5,387 3,965
Yield rate 29.0% 19.2%
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: $29,393

Out of state: $48,784
Average net price $15,422 $20,318
Tuition
In state: $8,324

Out of state: $24,136
In state: $10,065

Out of state: $29,456
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,590

Meal plan: $4,498
Room/dormitory: $10,260

Meal plan: $4,500
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

87.0%
Average amount $8,833
87.0%
Average amount $9,156
Students receiving federal student loan 47.0%
Average amount $5,202
28.0%
Average amount $4,944
Students taking out private loans 11.0%
Average amount $11,630
4.0%
Average amount $18,709

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 25,808
Men 56.1% Women 43.9%
27,564
Men 52.0% Women 48.0%
Graduate students 4,900
Men 50.6% Women 49.4%
5,629
Men 46.2% Women 53.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 35.8%
International students 8.2% 7.6%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 9,400 5,055
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Oregon California Washington Hawaii Colorado

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 18:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome

Graduation rate 76.0% 68.2%
Dropout rate 6.1% 10.0%
Transferred out 16.7% 18.9%
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
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,696
  • Year 2: $124,122
  • Year 3: $129,702
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $105,213
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,539
  • Year 2: $78,719
  • Year 3: $92,424
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,421
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $87,236
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,600
  • Year 2: $73,446
  • Year 3: $84,460
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,654
  • Year 2: $73,035
  • Year 3: $83,827
Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,542
  • Year 2: $71,295
  • Year 3: $81,840
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,943
  • Year 2: $67,420
  • Year 3: $76,191
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,476
  • Year 2: $62,863
  • Year 3: $76,134
Manufacturing Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $75,733

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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