Washington State University (WSU) vs Iowa State

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Pullman, Washington, and Ames, Iowa, home to Washington State University (WSU) and Iowa State University (ISU), respectively. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and a rich history, they offer distinct experiences. WSU boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body from across the globe. ISU, on the other hand, has a slightly lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including popular majors, student demographics, and financial aid options. Discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for a transformative educational journey.

	Iowa State University	Washington State University
Overview
Location	Ames, Iowa	Pullman, Washington
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	88.0%	81.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.1%	85.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $75
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	18,197
Total number of admissions given out	18,550	15,607
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,387	4,007
Yield rate	29.0%	25.7%
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: $28,767 Out of state: $44,083
Average net price	$15,422	$11,877
Tuition	In state: $8,324 Out of state: $24,136	In state: $10,457 Out of state: $25,773
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,590 Meal plan: $4,498	Room/dormitory: $7,400 Meal plan: $4,350
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $8,833	86.0% Average amount $9,993
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $5,202	27.0% Average amount $5,042
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $11,630	3.0% Average amount $15,454

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	25,808 Men 56.1% Women 43.9%	24,278 Men 45.9% Women 54.1%
Graduate students	4,900 Men 50.6% Women 49.4%	5,565 Men 44.7% Women 55.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	15.2%
International students	8.2%	5.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	9,400	7,043
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Washington California Oregon Idaho Hawaii

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Agriculture Education Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Engineering Social Sciences Health Professions Education
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	76.0%	59.5%
Dropout rate	6.1%	38.1%
Transferred out	16.7%	N/A
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	Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $135,393 Year 3: $143,888 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $110,911 Year 2: $123,178 Year 3: $127,531 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,080 Year 2: $100,915 Year 3: $120,737 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $111,957 Year 2: $112,073 Year 3: $119,910 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $106,275 Year 2: $105,813 Year 3: $117,478 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $82,971 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $96,760 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,468 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $88,746 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $80,693 Year 2: $75,204 Year 3: $81,535 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,112 Year 2: $68,808 Year 3: $80,939 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,531 Year 2: $72,881 Year 3: $79,650

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