Quad
Iowa State
U. Iowa

Key differences on Students & campus

  1. 1

    U. Iowa has 2 pts more first-gen students than Iowa State (22% vs. 20%)

    First-generation students
  2. 2

    Iowa State is a bit larger (26,073 vs. 22,264)

    Undergrads
  3. 3

    U. Iowa is more diverse (index 0.43 vs. 0.41)

    Diversity index

Students

Students & campus

Who's on each campus, how many get Pell Grants or are the first in their family, and campus life.

Who's on campus

Undergrads
Iowa State26.1K
U. Iowa22.3K
Pell Grant share
Iowa State19%
U. Iowa18%
First-gen share
Iowa State20%
U. Iowa22%
Diversity index
Iowa State0.41
U. Iowa0.43

Who they are

Men
Iowa State56%
U. Iowa43%
Part-time students
Iowa State3%
U. Iowa5%
Students 25 and older
Iowa State3%
U. Iowa5%

Race & ethnicity

Iowa State
U. Iowa
  • White
  • Asian
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Black
  • Two or more
  • International
  • Other/unknown

Where they're from

First-years from in state
Iowa State54%
U. Iowa54%
First-years from other states
Iowa State43%
U. Iowa45%
First-years from abroad
Iowa State3%
U. Iowa1%
New transfer students this fall
Iowa State1,252
U. Iowa1,083
Transfers, share of new undergraduates
Iowa State18%
U. Iowa17%

Campus

Iowa State
Small cityNCAA D-I FBS · Big Twelve ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research
U. Iowa
Small cityNCAA D-I FBS · Big Ten ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

LGBTQ+ policies

Each item is dated: either the college's own page, checked on that date, or a national list's claim, read on that date — never a plain “yes” or “no.” A key missing for a college isn't shown as “no”: nothing was found for it.

PolicyIowa StateU. Iowa
Gender-inclusive housingGender-inclusive housing: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)Gender-inclusive housing: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)
Chosen name and pronouns on campus records–Chosen name and pronouns on campus records: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)
Gender-inclusive restrooms listed onlineGender-inclusive restrooms listed online: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)Gender-inclusive restrooms listed online: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)
Student health plan covers transition-related care–Student health plan covers transition-related care: listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)
Trans-inclusive athletic policy (intramurals and club sports)Trans-inclusive athletic policy (intramurals and club sports): listed by Trans Policy Clearinghouse (2026-10-04)–

All student numbers in the table

Sources:Iowa State University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;College Scorecard, Fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why