Quad

Head-to-head

U. Missouri-Columbia
U. Iowa

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. Missouri-Columbia's grants cover 32% of its full price on average, vs. 19% at U. Iowa

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    U. Missouri-Columbia's yield is 9 pts higher than U. Iowa's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    U. Iowa is more diverse (index 0.43 vs. 0.36)

    Diversity index
  4. 4

    U. Missouri-Columbia costs about $4.7K less per year on average than U. Iowa ($26,446 vs. $31,157, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  5. 5

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

    First-generation students
  6. 6

    U. Missouri-Columbia has 2 pts more Pell recipients than U. Iowa (20% 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. Missouri-Columbia admits 78%, U. Iowa 84%; U. Missouri-Columbia's yield is higher, at 31%.

Acceptance rate
U. Missouri-Columbia78%
U. Iowa84%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. Missouri-ColumbiaSelective
  • U. IowaSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
U. Missouri-Columbia
1150–1330
U. Iowa
1130–1330
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. Missouri-ColumbiaSchool record and prep program required
  • U. IowaGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

U. Missouri-Columbia and U. Iowa are about the same size; U. Missouri-Columbia has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Missouri-Columbia23.9K
U. Iowa22.3K
Pell Grant share
U. Missouri-Columbia20%
U. Iowa18%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at U. Missouri-Columbia, and Exercise Science and Kinesiology at U. Iowa; U. Iowa has 16 students per faculty member to U. Missouri-Columbia's 17.

Students per faculty member
U. Missouri-Columbia17 to 1
U. Iowa16 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. Missouri-ColumbiaBusiness/Commerce, General15%
  • U. IowaExercise Science and Kinesiology8%

What each costs

U. Missouri-Columbia costs about $4.7K less a year than U. Iowa on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Missouri-Columbia$26.4K
U. Iowa$31.2K
Aid generosity
U. Missouri-Columbia32%
U. Iowa19%

What each pays off

U. Iowa's former students earn more, a median $64.8K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Missouri-Columbia$63.4K
U. Iowa$64.8K
Graduation rate
U. Missouri-Columbia73%
U. Iowa72%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; selectivity held steady at both.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. Missouri-ColumbiaGrowing+16%
  • U. IowaGrowing+15%
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