Quad

Head-to-head

U. Iowa
Boise State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. Iowa graduates 13 pts more of its students than Boise State (72% vs. 59%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    U. Iowa grads earn $13.1K more ten years out than Boise State's ($64,762 vs. $51,658)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  3. 3

    Boise State has 11 pts more first-gen students than U. Iowa (33% vs. 22%)

    First-generation students
  4. 4

    Boise State is more diverse (index 0.49 vs. 0.43)

    Diversity index
  5. 5

    U. Iowa is a bit larger (22,264 vs. 17,674)

    Undergrads
  6. 6

    Boise State's yield is 2 pts higher than U. Iowa's

    Yield rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

U. Iowa admits 84%, Boise State 87%; Boise State's yield is higher, at 24%.

Acceptance rate
U. Iowa84%
Boise State87%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. IowaSelective
  • Boise StateAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
U. Iowa
1130–1330
Boise StateTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. IowaGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • Boise StateRigor very important

Who's on each campus

U. Iowa is a bit larger than Boise State (22,264 vs. 17,674 undergrads); both have the same Pell share, 18%.

Undergrads
U. Iowa22.3K
Boise State17.7K
Pell Grant share
U. Iowa18%
Boise State18%

Majors and faculty

Exercise Science and Kinesiology leads at U. Iowa, and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse at Boise State; U. Iowa has 16 students per faculty member to Boise State's 20.

Students per faculty member
U. Iowa16 to 1
Boise State20 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. IowaExercise Science and Kinesiology8%
  • Boise StateRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse10%

What each costs

U. Iowa and Boise State cost about the same a year on average; U. Iowa's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Iowa$31.2K
Boise State$32K
Aid generosity
U. Iowa19%
Boise State18%

What each pays off

U. Iowa's former students earn more, a median $64.8K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Iowa$64.8K
Boise State$51.7K
Graduation rate
U. Iowa72%
Boise State59%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; Boise State got less selective while U. Iowa held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. IowaGrowing+15%
  • Boise StateGrowing+97%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Boise State University Common Data Set 2021–22, Fall 2021About 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