Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $23,986 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), about the national median. The 77% who received grants paid $17,779 on average; the other 23% paid the full sticker price of $24,204 in-state / $41,390 out-of-state.
- Full price, in-state
- $24,204 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Little need-based aid above $110K
- aid thins out for families above that income
- Merit aid
- 43% · avg $9K
- of first-years without need got merit aid
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
- With an average merit award: $15K · 43% got one. A possibility, not a promise
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $11K a year |
| $30–48K | $12K a year |
| $48–75K | $15K a year |
| $75–110K | $20K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
$23,986
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
77% got grants averaging $10,791; 23% got none.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Sticker price by residency
| Rate | Tuition & fees | First-years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | $10,497 | $24,204 | 53% |
| Out-of-state | $27,683 | $41,390 | 47% |
Full cost adds books, on-campus room & board, and other expenses ($13,707) to tuition and fees.
63.0% of full-time undergraduates at Iowa State University pay more than the published tuition because tuition varies by program.
$22.9K
≈ $242/month for 10 years
1.5 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
43% of undergrads borrow federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full20%
- Paying it down33%
- Payments paused26%
- Not paying it down16%
- Behind or in default5%
- Forgiven or discharged0%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
ModerateGrants cover 26% of the $32,281 full price on average across all first-years (moderate), more than at 16% of colleges.
$8,295 in grants per first-year ÷ $32,281 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (5,794), 2023–24
About 1 in 4 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $24,204 in-state / $41,390 out-of-state.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
By family income: only students who received federal aid, because income is only reported for them.
Aid by family income isn't reported.
From Iowa State University's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2024–25.
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | 47%2,736 students | 44%10,785 students |
| Need met, on average | 69% | 65% |
| Need fully met | 18% | 14% |
| Average aid package | $16,025 | $15,243 |
| Average need-based grant | $13,100 | $12,613 |
| Average need-based loan | $2,944 | $3,756 |
| Merit aid without need | 43%average $8,830 | 38%average $8,255 |
46% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
Priority date: February 29 · Deadline: none · Aid offers: on a rolling basis from January 30 · Reply by: May 1
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | ✓ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Alumni connection | ✓ | not marked |
| Art | ✓ | not marked |
| Athletics | ✓ | not marked |
| ROTC | ✓ | not marked |
| Leadership | ✓ | not marked |
| Music or drama | ✓ | not marked |
| State or district residency | ✓ | ✓ |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
International students
Merit aid offered.
International applicants file: the college's own form.
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Iowa State University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;Iowa State University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2024–25;Iowa State University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;Iowa State University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)