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Is Iowa State University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Iowa State, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Iowa State lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $21,250 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $67,568, but the margin is not huge. For context, Iowa State's net price runs about 32% above the typical 4-year, public school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$17,354
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $4,200 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $17,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data is workable, but not so strong that it erases financing risk.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$18,517
Median earnings 10 years out
$67,568
Median debt at graduation
$21,250
Graduation rate
76%
At Iowa State, a typical graduate carries about $21,250 in student debt and earns roughly $67,568 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $242 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $33,365 more than the typical working high school graduate in Iowa ($34,203) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
88% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in Iowa ($34,203).
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
Bachelor's degree · 151 working graduates counted
$39,143
$4,940 above the benchmark
Visual and Performing Arts, General
Bachelor's degree · 18 working graduates counted
$39,403
$5,200 above the benchmark
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
Bachelor's degree · 19 working graduates counted
$40,726
$6,523 above the benchmark
Anthropology
Bachelor's degree · 26 working graduates counted
$43,443
$9,240 above the benchmark
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
Bachelor's degree · 17 working graduates counted
$44,892
$10,689 above the benchmark
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
Bachelor's degree · 190 working graduates counted
$46,253
$12,050 above the benchmark
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor's degree · 249 working graduates counted
$47,462
$13,259 above the benchmark
Psychology, General
Bachelor's degree · 222 working graduates counted
$49,286
$15,083 above the benchmark
Medical Illustration and Informatics
Bachelor's degree · 16 working graduates counted
$49,493
$15,290 above the benchmark
English Language and Literature, General
Bachelor's degree · 87 working graduates counted
$49,626
$15,423 above the benchmark
29 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent Iowa State University and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
Iowa State is a public four year school in Ames, IA. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA
Worth-It Score: 72/100
Median net price: $16,038
Public 4-year
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Worth-It Score: 76/100
Median net price: $22,508
Public 4-year
William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $18,533
Public 4-year
University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA
Worth-It Score: 81/100
Median net price: $18,549
Public 4-year
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
Worth-It Score: 90/100
Median net price: $18,554
Common questions about Iowa State
The median net price at Iowa State is $18,517 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in Iowa? See the most affordable public universities in Iowa →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Iowa State in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$18,517a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →