UC Riverside vs Iowa State

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant academic landscapes of the University of California-Riverside (UCR) and Iowa State University (ISU), two esteemed institutions offering distinct educational experiences. UCR, nestled in the heart of Southern California, boasts a diverse student body and a strong emphasis on research, while ISU, rooted in the heartland of Iowa, prides itself on its exceptional programs in agriculture, engineering, and veterinary medicine. As you embark on your higher education journey, explore the nuances that set these universities apart, from their acceptance rates and popular majors to their student demographics and graduation outcomes. Delve into our comprehensive comparison table to uncover the institution that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, ensuring a fulfilling and transformative university experience.

	Iowa State University	University of California-Riverside
Overview
Location	Ames, Iowa	Riverside, California
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	88.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.1%	65.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $120
SAT range	1083 - 1330	N/A
ACT range	21 - 28	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	13.0%
Students submitting ACT score	63.0%
Total number of applicants	20,357	52,672
Total number of admissions given out	18,550	34,437
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,387	5,203
Yield rate	29.0%	15.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,152 Out of state: $37,964	In state: $32,312 Out of state: $62,066
Average net price	$15,422	$13,502
Tuition	In state: $8,324 Out of state: $24,136	In state: $11,442 Out of state: $41,196
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,590 Meal plan: $4,498	$16,600
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $8,833	78.0% Average amount $18,676
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $5,202	28.0% Average amount $4,703
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $11,630	2.0% Average amount $8,151

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	25,808 Men 56.1% Women 43.9%	22,868 Men 47.0% Women 53.0%
Graduate students	4,900 Men 50.6% Women 49.4%	3,979 Men 53.8% Women 46.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	0.8%
International students	8.2%	8.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	9,400	8,597
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Nevada Florida Arizona New Mexico

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Agriculture Education Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	24:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	76.0%	76.5%
Dropout rate	6.1%	6.2%
Transferred out	16.7%	16.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,739 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $101,292 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,956 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $95,081 Industrial Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,120 Year 2: $89,059 Year 3: $92,521 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $77,573 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $85,108 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,299 Year 2: $73,321 Year 3: $83,452 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,598 Year 2: $73,839 Year 3: $83,292 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,184 Year 2: $71,734 Year 3: $81,196 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $83,223 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $79,916 Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,580 Year 2: $70,083 Year 3: $77,479 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,534 Year 2: $67,156 Year 3: $76,113	Psychology, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $85,748 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,571 Year 2: $69,617 Year 3: $84,080 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $79,838 Year 3: $81,740 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,399 Year 2: $66,076 Year 3: $80,825 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,188 Year 2: $59,912 Year 3: $68,240 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,114 Year 2: $60,320 Year 3: $67,946 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,484 Year 2: $49,464 Year 3: $66,365 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,049 Year 2: $58,568 Year 3: $64,438 Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,664 Year 2: $49,214 Year 3: $63,844 Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,269 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $59,823

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Iowa State

University of Arizona