Iowa State University

Yes, Iowa State University acceptance rate stands at 89%, which makes it competitive to get into. For ISU admissions, international students must meet all the admission requirements at the university. ISU offers programs at UG and PG levels for its international students. 

Yes, Iowa State University is among the most prestigious universities located in the USA. ISU offers various programs at UG and PG levels for its international students. As per Shiksha Popularity Rankings, the ISU is ranks at #377 in World and #76 in USA. Iowa State University is ranked No. 1 in Iowa and in the top 25% nationally in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings.

Iowa State University is known for offering 100+ majors, majorly in the Science and Technology fields, including an Engineering programme that is 'practically unrivaled'. The enrollment statistics show growing interest in the university's STEM programs and degrees of the future. ISU continues to see strong enrollment with 30,000+ students on-campus and class of 5,900+ first-year students. 

Though Iowa State University is test-optional for first-year applicants, it must be noted that if international students have graduated from a US high school, they may choose to submit their SAT / ACT score. Whereas, students who have graduated from a foreign school do not need to take these exams. Other Iowa State admission requirements for undergraduate applicants are given below:

• A minimum of 3.0 GPA
• High school course requirements
• English language proficiency requirement: TOEFL iBT 71 / IELTS with an overall score of 6.0 / PTE score of 48, etc.

Lowa State University Master of Finance admission requirements are given below:

• A bachelor’s degree is required with a minimum of 3.0 GPA
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Resume
• Academic transcripts

As per the student reviews at IA State University, the following things must be kept in mind:

• Go out of the university's campus once in a while and check out Ames as a city. Check out the local parks, shop downtown, and interact with the locals
• Volunteer as this helps students to make valuable contacts. It also boosts the resume
• Attend IA State Sporting events
• Also, get a part-time job

To get into IA State University, first-year international applicants are required to have the following:

• A minimum GPA of 3.0 in high school
• SAT / ACT (not required for admission)
• English language proficiency requirement: TOEFL / IELTS / PTE / Duolingo scores are required
• Academic transcripts
• Bank statement or sponsor letter confirming USD 47,600
• Copy of passport

For international graduate students, a bachelor's degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. English language proficiency scores must also be submitted

Iowa State University Indian applicants of UG course are required to upload the following documents with their application:

• Academic transcripts
• English language proficiency score
• A bank statement showing a minimum balance of USD 47,600 (Around INR 40 lakh)

Indian applicants at the PG level are required to have a Bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0. A few of the documents that the applicants are required to submit are:

• Official transcripts
• Evidence of English language proficiency score
• GRE / GMAT score
• 500-word Statement of Purpose
• Letters of recommendations (as applicable)
• Financial documents 

International students admitted to Iowa State are automatically awarded renewable scholarships on the basis of their high school GPA and SAT and ACT scores. These are known as International Student Excellent Award. This scholarship cannot be combined with International Merit Scholarship. The scholarship award values are:

• President's Award for International Student Excellence: USD 48,000 (USD 12,000 per year)
• Dean's Award for International Student Excellence: USD 40,000 (Per year USD 10,000)

Indian applicants thinking to take admission to University in Iowa State must submit the English language proficiency requirements. They can submit the test scores like IELTS / TOEFL / PTE / Duolingo. Minimum test scores required in these tests are:

Tests

UG Scores

PG Scores

IELTS

Overall 6.0 with sub-scores of 5.5 or above

Overall 6.5

Duolingo

100

105 (Fall 2025), 115 (Spring 2026)

PTE

48

53

TOEFL

71 on IBT with a 17 or above on the Speaking and Writing sections

79

Iowa State University vast alumni network features 284,000+ alumni members worldwide. Some famous personalities that went to Iowa State University are Clayton Anderson, George Washington Carver, Henry Agard Wallace, LeRoy E. Cain, Dennis Muilenburg, etc.

Iowa State University alumni network features over 284,000 members from all over the globe. A few famous personalities that went to Iowa State University are listed below-

• Lee Teng-hui
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Here are some of the top recruiters for Iowa State University MBA graduates:

• Cargill
• Conagra Brands
• Intel
• Citadel
• Midwest Asset
• Walmart 
• Honeywell
• General Mills
• U.S. Bank
• Pella
• PIC

Iowa State University is regarded for offering high placement rate in the USA. Iowa State University placement highlight is listed below-

• Iowa State University placement rate is over 95%, for UG graduates are they achieved placement within 6 months of graduation.
• <!- [if !supportLists]-><!- [endif]->For PG gards, ISU placement rate stands at over 90%, and the graduates found employment within 6 months.
• The Iowa State University placement rate for Ph.D. graduates is over 90%, and the grads are employed within 6 months.

Iowa State University graduates are constantly in high demand worldwide. Iowa State University placement rate for UG students is over 90%, and the graduates are employed within 6 months. The average salary of Iowa State University graduates is listed below-

Course

Salary (ROI)

MBA

USD 90,000 (INR 85.08 L)

UG

USD 62,000 (INR 58.57 L)

International students must meet the Iowa GPA requirements to get admission to MS in Computer Science program. Mentioned below is the general Iowa State University requirements for MS in CS admission-

• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• A 4-year’s bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Academic records / transcripts
• English language proficiency score: TOEFL iBT: 79 / IELTS: 6.5 / PTE: 53 / Duolingo: 105
• Letters of Recommendation
• Financial Statement

Check more details about <a href="https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/usa/ms-in-computer-science-engineering-colleges-ds">MS in CS in USA from here</a>

There is no university-wide requirement that graduate applicants of Iowa State University are required to submit the results of GRE or GMAT. However, most of the programs do require one of these exams.

Yes, Iowa State University MBA requires a GMAT score. Given below are the application requirements for this course-

• Online application
• Resume
• College transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• GMAT / GRE score
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test score

Some of the scholarships that are offered by ISU to international students are given below:

• International Merit Awards: These scholarships are awarded to those undergraduate students who have demonstrated strong academic achievement and outstanding talent or achievements. The award of achievement is USD up to USD 40,000 and the award of distinction is up to USD 16,000
• International Excellence Awards: International first-year students who have been granted admission to ISU will be automatically awarded these renewable merit scholarships for high-achieving applicants on the basis of high school GPA and SAT or ACT score submitted. Under this, President’s Award for International Student Excellence is USD 48,000 and for Dean’s Award for International Students is USD 40,000

Also Read: Scholarships to Study in the USA for International Students 

First-year students at IA State are considered for a limited number of merit scholarships. The scholarship selection is competitive based on a holistic review of SAT / ACT scores and high school marks / grades. Students must complete the OneApp scholarship application in order to be considered for this award. The award amount is given below:

• Award of Achievement: Up to $40,000 ($5,000 - $10,000 per year)
• Award Distinction: Up to $16,000 ($2,000 - $4,000 per year)

Iowa State offers International Student Excellence Award to international UG students. These are merit-based scholarships offered to high-achieving applicants based on the high school GPA and SAT or ACT scores submitted during the admissions application process. Note that this scholarship cannot be combined with the International Merit Scholarship. The scholarship award value as per this scholarship is given below-

Award

Annual Value

SAT/ACT Required

President’s Award

USD 14,000 (INR 13.17 L)

Yes

Dean's Award

USD 12,000 (INR 11.29 L)

Yes

Innovator's Award

USD 10,000 (INR 9.41 L)

No

Launchpad Award

USD 6,000 (5.64 L)

No

Iowa State University offer programs at UG and PG levels for its international students. ISU tuition fee can vary from one programme to another. Iowa State University annual tuition fee for international students for both UG and PG programme is listed below-

Housing varies depending on where the student decides to stay. If they want to live in the dorms on campus, the cost would go around USD 11,000 (INR 10.35 L) - USD 16,000 (INR 15.06 L) (including food and housing) for one year.

As per the unofficial sources, Iowa State University popular majors are Engineering; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, etc. Other popular majors are listed below-

• Visual and Performing Arts
• Agricultural / Animal / Plant / Veterinary Science and Related Fields
• Education
• Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs

The duration of the IA State University MSc in CS course is 2 years. The university's CS department faculty includes ACM Distinguished Scientists, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellows, and Fulbright Scholars. Also, M.Sc in CS graduates of this university goes on to work at top organizations like-

• Microsoft
• Google
• Walt Disney
• Kingland
• LinkedIn

Iowa State University degree programs attracts students from all over the world. The Iowa State University programs features more than 100 UG, over 350 PG, and around 85+ doctoral programs for its international students. Iowa State University popular programs include Engineering, Business, Mechanical Engineering, etc.

Iowa State University is one of the finest universities in the world. As per Shiksha Popularity Ranking, ISU is ranked at #377 in world and #76 in USA. Top ranking bodies all over the world ranks ISU that are listed below-

Ranking Authorities

Rank

Shiksha Popularity Rankings

#377 in world and #76 in USA

Times Higher Education 2026

#401-500 in World University Rankings

QS Rankings 2026

#449 in QS World University Rankings

US News and World Report 2026

#117 in Best National Universities

Iowa State is among the top ranked universities based in the USA. According to a top-ranking publisher, Iowa State ranking in the US is #117 in 2026 edition of National University category. 

IA State University is located in the heart of the Midwest in Ames, Iowa. Recently, Ames was named one of America's most livable small cities. Also, Iowa State's campus has been called one of the Top 25 beautiful campuses in the country. While studying at this university, students can go to Broadway musicals, cultural events, concerts, and Big 12 Conference events and can also experience dozens of local restaurants and shops, bowling alleys, movie theatres, etc. Also, there are 800+ student organizations at the campus.