Iowa State University
Ames, IA
What are your chances of getting into Iowa State University?
Iowa State University is a large, STEM-heavy public research university in Ames that combines broad access with strong professional preparation. It is especially well known for engineering, agriculture and life sciences, veterinary medicine, and design, and it also has a practical, hands-on academic style that leans into internships, research, and applied learning. The campus feels like a true college town, with a substantial residential student experience, a busy Memorial Union, public art, museums, and plenty of activity around athletics and student events. With more than 800 student organizations and a student body that is large enough to feel energetic but not anonymous in every setting, there is a lot to plug into socially. The admitted class profile suggests it is accessible rather than ultra-selective, but the academic environment is still solid and career-oriented. Students who tend to thrive here are collaborative, curious, and comfortable at a big school where self-direction matters and many opportunities are self-started.
Calculate your chances at Iowa State University
Enter your GPA and test scores, add other schools, and see where you stand instantly.
Your Academic Profile
Estimates based on admitted-student data. Real decisions also weigh essays, recommendations, and course rigor.
Your results
Enter your GPA to see your academic score.
Your chances map appears here once you enter a GPA and add colleges.
Strengths
- Strong reputation in engineering, agriculture, veterinary medicine, and other applied STEM fields
- Large, active campus with many clubs, events, and student resources
- Good fit for students who want internships, research, and career-focused learning
- Public university value and a broad range of majors and campus opportunities
Things to weigh
- Large scale can feel impersonal if you want a small-college atmosphere
- Ames is a college town, so the setting is quieter than a major city
- Broad access means classmates will have a wide range of academic preparation
- Midwestern weather can be a real factor, especially in the winter
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to get into Iowa State University?+
Iowa State University admits about 89% of applicants, and the middle 50% of admitted students score between 1120 and 1360 on the SAT. Enter your GPA and test scores above and this calculator estimates your personal chances in seconds, and tells you whether Iowa State University is a safety, match, or reach for your profile.
Is this the most accurate college admissions calculator?+
Counselly's chances calculator runs on real, current admissions data, the actual admit rates and SAT/ACT ranges colleges report to the U.S. Department of Education, not averages scraped from forums. Our algorithm weighs your GPA, test scores, and extracurricular strength against each school's admitted-student profile the way an admissions reader would begin, which makes it one of the most reliable free tools for seeing where you'll get into college.
How does the calculator predict my chances of getting in?+
It compares your academic profile to each college's real admitted class. We look at where your GPA and test scores fall within a school's 25th to 75th percentile range, combine that with the school's overall admit rate, and factor in your extracurricular strength, then translate it into a clear percentage and a Safety, Match, or Reach label. Everything recalculates instantly as you add schools or adjust your stats.
What counts as a good chance of getting into a college?+
Roughly above 60% is a Safety, you're comfortably ahead of the typical admitted student. Around 30 to 60% is a Match, realistic and worth prioritizing. Below 30% is a Reach, still absolutely worth applying to if it's a dream school. The strongest college lists balance all three, and Counselly helps you build exactly that kind of list.
Which colleges can I check my admission chances for?+
Hundreds of US colleges and universities, from Ivy League schools to large public flagships to smaller private colleges. Just start typing, MIT, UCLA, NYU, Michigan, and pick from the suggestions. We're continuously expanding our data, and your free assessment goes even further, matching you to programs across the country based on your full profile.
Can a calculator really tell me where I will get accepted?+
No tool can promise an outcome, and you should be cautious of any that claims to. What Counselly does exceptionally well is show you, honestly and instantly, exactly where you stand academically at each college, so you can build a smart, balanced list instead of guessing. Your essays, recommendations, and story do the rest, and your free assessment is built to help you strengthen all of them.
Is the college chances calculator free?+
Completely free, and no signup is required to use it. When you're ready to go further, your full assessment, the complete list of colleges where you're a strong fit plus a step-by-step plan to raise your odds, is also free to unlock with an account.
