How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
Iowa State University admits 88.7% of applicants, making it broadly accessible to students across a wide range of academic backgrounds. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,120 and 1,360 on the SAT or between 21 and 28 on the ACT (interquartile range). 18.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 19.9% are first-generation college students, reflecting the university's role as a genuine point of entry for Iowa families and students from across the Midwest who are the first in their families to pursue a four-year degree. Transfer enrollment accounts for 18.7% of the student body, adding another pathway for students who begin elsewhere. Azimuth ranks Iowa State University #631 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The graduation rate tells a consistent story: 75.3% of students complete within six years, and 67.5% of Pell-eligible students do the same — a sign that Iowa State's broad enrollment translates into real completion at meaningful scale. Low-income graduates earn median earnings of $53,500 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 79.1 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Given that 18.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, that earnings figure reflects outcomes for a substantial share of the student body, not a narrow slice. Azimuth ranks Iowa State University #125 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. As explored in Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes at scale, institutions like Iowa State demonstrate that broad admission and strong graduate earnings can coexist — and that the volume at which a school serves Pell and first-generation students shapes its mobility impact as much as per-student outcomes alone.
Iowa State University admits 88.7% of applicants, making it broadly accessible to students across a wide range of academic backgrounds. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,120 and 1,360 on the SAT or between 21 and 28 on the ACT (interquartile range). 18.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 19.9% are first-generation college students, reflecting the university's role as a genuine point of entry for Iowa families and students from across the Midwest who are the first in their families to pursue a four-year degree. Transfer enrollment accounts for 18.7% of the student body, adding another pathway for students who begin elsewhere. Azimuth ranks Iowa State University #631 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The graduation rate tells a consistent story: 75.3% of students complete within six years, and 67.5% of Pell-eligible students do the same — a sign that Iowa State's broad enrollment translates into real completion at meaningful scale. Low-income graduates earn median earnings of $53,500 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 79.1 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Given that 18.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, that earnings figure reflects outcomes for a substantial share of the student body, not a narrow slice. Azimuth ranks Iowa State University #125 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. As explored in Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes at scale, institutions like Iowa State demonstrate that broad admission and strong graduate earnings can coexist — and that the volume at which a school serves Pell and first-generation students shapes its mobility impact as much as per-student outcomes alone.
Iowa State University admits 88.7% of applicants, making it broadly accessible to students across a wide range of academic backgrounds. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,120 and 1,360 on the SAT or between 21 and 28 on the ACT (interquartile range). 18.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 19.9% are first-generation college students, reflecting the university's role as a genuine point of entry for Iowa families and students from across the Midwest who are the first in their families to pursue a four-year degree. Transfer enrollment accounts for 18.7% of the student body, adding another pathway for students who begin elsewhere. Azimuth ranks Iowa State University #631 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The graduation rate tells a consistent story: 75.3% of students complete within six years, and 67.5% of Pell-eligible students do the same — a sign that Iowa State's broad enrollment translates into real completion at meaningful scale. Low-income graduates earn median earnings of $53,500 on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 79.1 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Given that 18.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, that earnings figure reflects outcomes for a substantial share of the student body, not a narrow slice. Azimuth ranks Iowa State University #125 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. As explored in Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes at scale, institutions like Iowa State demonstrate that broad admission and strong graduate earnings can coexist — and that the volume at which a school serves Pell and first-generation students shapes its mobility impact as much as per-student outcomes alone.
