UC San Diego vs Iowa State

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant coastal city of San Diego or the heartland's rich agricultural landscape of Ames, Iowa. University of California-San Diego (UCSD) and Iowa State University (ISU) offer distinct experiences, each with its own strengths and characteristics. While UCSD boasts a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate, ISU offers a more affordable education and a larger student body. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into the specifics of each university, including popular majors, student demographics, and financial aid options. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for your transformative college journey.

	Iowa State University	University of California-San Diego
Overview
Location	Ames, Iowa	La Jolla, California
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Large
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%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.1%	34.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $120
SAT range	1083 - 1330	N/A
ACT range	21 - 28	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	13.0%
Students submitting ACT score	63.0%
Total number of applicants	20,357	118,386
Total number of admissions given out	18,550	40,493
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,387	7,544
Yield rate	29.0%	18.6%
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: $35,116 Out of state: $64,870
Average net price	$15,422	$15,632
Tuition	In state: $8,324 Out of state: $24,136	In state: $11,442 Out of state: $41,196
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,590 Meal plan: $4,498	$16,145
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $8,833	48.0% Average amount $18,083
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $5,202	21.0% Average amount $4,545
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $11,630	7.0% Average amount $4,851

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	25,808 Men 56.1% Women 43.9%	33,343 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students	4,900 Men 50.6% Women 49.4%	8,542 Men 57.6% Women 42.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	16.6%
International students	8.2%	21.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	9,400	17,765
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Washington Texas New York Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Agriculture Education Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Computer and Information Science Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	76.0%	89.4%
Dropout rate	6.1%	9.7%
Transferred out	16.7%	N/A
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	Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $127,768 Year 2: $162,463 Year 3: $194,475 Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $122,641 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $153,118 Physics (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $124,326 Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $118,445 Year 2: $113,668 Year 3: $123,569 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,196 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $113,628 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,603 Year 2: $101,406 Year 3: $109,783 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $108,034 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $87,738 Year 2: $86,972 Year 3: $105,245 Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,610 Year 2: $75,706 Year 3: $102,296 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $79,476 Year 2: $79,688 Year 3: $99,630

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