Quad

Head-to-head

U. Iowa
U. Nebraska-Lincoln

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. Nebraska-Lincoln costs about $7.9K less per year on average than U. Iowa ($23,208 vs. $31,157, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    U. Nebraska-Lincoln's grants cover 30% of its full price on average, vs. 19% at U. Iowa

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    U. Iowa grads earn $7.9K more ten years out than U. Nebraska-Lincoln's ($64,762 vs. $56,887)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    U. Nebraska-Lincoln's yield is 7 pts higher than U. Iowa's

    Yield rate
  5. 5

    U. Iowa graduates 6 pts more of its students than U. Nebraska-Lincoln (72% vs. 67%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    U. Nebraska-Lincoln has 4 pts more Pell recipients than U. Iowa (23% vs. 18%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

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

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

U. Iowa admits 84%, U. Nebraska-Lincoln 87%; U. Nebraska-Lincoln's yield is higher, at 30%.

Acceptance rate
U. Iowa84%
U. Nebraska-Lincoln87%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. IowaSelective
  • U. Nebraska-LincolnAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
U. Iowa
1130–1330
U. Nebraska-Lincoln
1098–1330
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. IowaGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • U. Nebraska-LincolnSchool record required

Who's on each campus

U. Iowa is a bit larger than U. Nebraska-Lincoln (22,264 vs. 19,178 undergrads); U. Nebraska-Lincoln has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Iowa22.3K
U. Nebraska-Lincoln19.2K
Pell Grant share
U. Iowa18%
U. Nebraska-Lincoln23%

Majors and faculty

Exercise Science and Kinesiology leads at U. Iowa, and Psychology at U. Nebraska-Lincoln; U. Iowa has 16 students per faculty member to U. Nebraska-Lincoln's 17.

Students per faculty member
U. Iowa16 to 1
U. Nebraska-Lincoln17 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. IowaExercise Science and Kinesiology8%
  • U. Nebraska-LincolnPsychology, General6%

What each costs

U. Nebraska-Lincoln costs about $7.9K less a year than U. Iowa on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Iowa$31.2K
U. Nebraska-Lincoln$23.2K
Aid generosity
U. Iowa19%
U. Nebraska-Lincoln30%

What each pays off

U. Iowa's former students earn more, a median $64.8K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Iowa$64.8K
U. Nebraska-Lincoln$56.9K
Graduation rate
U. Iowa72%
U. Nebraska-Lincoln67%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; U. Nebraska-Lincoln got less selective while U. Iowa held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. IowaGrowing+15%
  • U. Nebraska-LincolnGrowing+50%
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 2018About 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