Iowa State University
Iowa State University is a public college in Ames, IA. Its average net price is $18,517 a year - and the price families actually pay swings a lot by income, as the receipt below shows.
Money
Tuition and room and board for the 2025-26 academic year
Average Net Price by Family Income
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $11,957 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $12,869 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,013 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $19,173 |
| $110,001 and up | $22,905 |
Admissions
Outcomes
| Horizon | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 6 years after entry | $58,609 |
| 8 years after entry | $63,779 |
| 10 years after entry | $67,568 |
Campus Facts
Programs and What They Pay
Each figure prints the sample size behind it. A college figure appears only when at least 30 graduates sit behind it; smaller programs show the national median for the major instead. Read Why We Show Sample Sizes.
| Major | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $62,351 n=136 | $20,154 n=122 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $79,517 n=128 | $25,377 n=160 |
| Agricultural Business | $59,562 n=175 | $16,500 n=185 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $74,047 Small program - rough guide n=60 | $18,750 Small program - rough guide n=37 |
| Agricultural Mechanization | $69,450 Small program - rough guide n=46 | $17,313 Small program - rough guide n=40 |
| Agricultural Public Services | $45,991 National median for this major n=576 | Not published |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $69,634 National median for this major n=9,921 | Not published |
| Animal Sciences | $44,561 n=175 | $21,500 n=275 |
| Anthropology | $34,245 National median for this major n=8,063 | Not published |
| Apparel and Textiles | $43,793 n=101 | $24,904 n=106 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $61,214 Small program - rough guide n=54 | $28,628 Small program - rough guide n=80 |
| Architecture | $55,143 National median for this major n=3,112 | Not published |
| Area Studies | $38,972 National median for this major n=3,356 | Not published |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | $44,128 National median for this major n=605 | Not published |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $43,049 National median for this major n=8,694 | Not published |
| Biology | $39,244 n=125 | $22,385 n=184 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | $62,548 National median for this major n=381 | Not published |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $60,808 n=380 | $21,750 n=317 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | $56,982 National median for this major n=4,348 | Not published |
| Chemical Engineering | $79,106 Small program - rough guide n=86 | $23,250 Small program - rough guide n=79 |
| Chemistry | $57,526 Small program - rough guide n=34 | $22,500 Small program - rough guide n=35 |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | $51,962 National median for this major n=706 | Not published |
| Civil Engineering | $75,489 n=114 | $22,000 n=102 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $33,198 National median for this major n=732 | Not published |
| Communications | $45,887 Small program - rough guide n=66 | $21,500 Small program - rough guide n=73 |
| Computational Science | $75,740 National median for this major n=203 | Not published |
| Computer Engineering | $83,366 n=234 | $24,984 n=209 |
| Computer Science | $62,978 n=192 | $22,390 n=172 |
| Computer Science | $81,601 Small program - rough guide n=76 | $24,625 n=124 |
| Construction Engineering | $79,703 Small program - rough guide n=74 | $22,875 Small program - rough guide n=66 |
| Criminal Justice | $44,847 n=110 | $22,879 n=135 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $45,054 n=224 | $26,000 n=274 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | $39,341 National median for this major n=2,106 | $25,499 Small program - rough guide n=40 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | $34,656 n=110 | $23,250 n=120 |
| Economics | $60,917 National median for this major n=25,831 | Not published |
| Education | $44,614 National median for this major n=9,571 | $23,225 Small program - rough guide n=68 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $81,522 Small program - rough guide n=83 | $22,921 n=123 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $69,879 n=102 | $23,250 n=103 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $43,430 Small program - rough guide n=53 | $19,500 Small program - rough guide n=67 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | $58,250 Small program - rough guide n=41 | $18,972 Small program - rough guide n=36 |
| Environmental Conservation | $43,359 Small program - rough guide n=84 | $23,250 Small program - rough guide n=90 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | $68,044 National median for this major n=1,601 | Not published |
| Ethnic and Gender Studies | $38,739 National median for this major n=5,496 | Not published |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | $43,742 National median for this major n=1,308 | Not published |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General | $38,356 National median for this major n=2,406 | Not published |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $64,168 n=196 | $21,816 n=222 |
| Food Science and Technology | $55,086 National median for this major n=940 | Not published |
| Forestry | $46,339 National median for this major n=1,230 | $26,093 Small program - rough guide n=37 |
| Genetics | $41,098 National median for this major n=526 | Not published |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $45,534 National median for this major n=4,652 | Not published |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $39,364 National median for this major n=755 | Not published |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $50,300 National median for this major n=20,298 | Not published |
| History | $41,458 Small program - rough guide n=51 | $25,537 Small program - rough guide n=74 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $46,372 n=119 | $23,250 Small program - rough guide n=95 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $38,938 Small program - rough guide n=68 | $21,500 Small program - rough guide n=81 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $55,804 National median for this major n=11,775 | Not published |
| Industrial Engineering | $78,621 Small program - rough guide n=95 | $23,250 Small program - rough guide n=84 |
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | $60,050 National median for this major n=1,019 | $27,000 Small program - rough guide n=37 |
| International Agriculture | $43,523 Small program - rough guide n=39 | $18,415 Small program - rough guide n=42 |
| International Business | $56,014 National median for this major n=5,265 | Not published |
| Journalism | $43,049 Small program - rough guide n=42 | $20,375 Small program - rough guide n=46 |
| Languages and Linguistics | $33,703 National median for this major n=4,034 | Not published |
| Liberal Arts | $39,154 Small program - rough guide n=65 | $25,875 Small program - rough guide n=80 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $65,673 National median for this major n=9,101 | Not published |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $68,249 National median for this major n=9,765 | $21,625 Small program - rough guide n=58 |
| Marketing | $56,055 n=289 | $23,250 n=336 |
| Materials Engineering | $72,014 Small program - rough guide n=30 | Not published |
| Mathematics | $55,421 Small program - rough guide n=37 | $19,250 Small program - rough guide n=58 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $77,031 n=359 | $24,250 n=372 |
| Medical Informatics | $49,283 National median for this major n=247 | Not published |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $41,538 National median for this major n=2,315 | Not published |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $47,819 National median for this major n=24,237 | Not published |
| Music | $33,156 National median for this major n=13,251 | Not published |
| Nutrition Sciences | $36,429 National median for this major n=2,421 | Not published |
| Philosophy | $37,154 National median for this major n=6,052 | Not published |
| Physics | $52,079 National median for this major n=4,999 | Not published |
| Plant Sciences | $48,895 Small program - rough guide n=82 | $20,500 n=116 |
| Political Science and Government | $41,710 Small program - rough guide n=51 | $19,000 Small program - rough guide n=73 |
| Psychology | $38,802 n=174 | $23,250 n=291 |
| Public Administration | $50,470 National median for this major n=2,829 | Not published |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $48,560 n=116 | $20,825 Small program - rough guide n=84 |
| Registered Nursing | $84,093 National median for this major n=221,244 | Not published |
| Religion/Religious Studies | $28,307 National median for this major n=4,315 | Not published |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $35,087 National median for this major n=7,289 | Not published |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $49,981 Small program - rough guide n=43 | $27,000 Small program - rough guide n=43 |
| Sociology | $36,395 Small program - rough guide n=35 | $24,444 Small program - rough guide n=30 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $40,853 n=156 | $25,250 n=273 |
| Statistics | $68,688 National median for this major n=3,096 | Not published |
| Sustainability Studies | $44,710 National median for this major n=1,415 | $27,250 Small program - rough guide n=33 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $47,409 Small program - rough guide n=77 | $17,850 Small program - rough guide n=65 |
| Teaching | $46,492 n=204 | $25,440 n=251 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $30,671 National median for this major n=4,580 | Not published |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | $33,118 National median for this major n=2,431 | Not published |
Explore Further
All Colleges in Iowa Accounting Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering Agricultural Business Agricultural Engineering Agricultural Mechanization Agricultural Public Services Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Animal Sciences Anthropology Apparel and Textiles Architectural Sciences and Technology Architecture Area Studies Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology Biology Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology Business Administration, Management and Operations Business/Managerial Economics Chemical Engineering Chemistry City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning Civil Engineering Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Communications Computational Science Computer Engineering Computer Science Computer Science Construction Engineering Criminal Justice Design and Applied Arts Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology Economics Education Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Engineering-Related Fields English Language and Literature, General Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Environmental Conservation Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering Ethnic and Gender Studies Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General Finance and Financial Management Services Food Science and Technology Forestry Genetics Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Health and Medical Administrative Services History Hospitality Administration/Management Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Human Resources Management and Services Industrial Engineering Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations International Agriculture International Business Journalism Languages and Linguistics Liberal Arts Management Information Systems and Services Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Marketing Materials Engineering Mathematics Mechanical Engineering Medical Informatics Microbiological Sciences and Immunology Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other Music Nutrition Sciences Philosophy Physics Plant Sciences Political Science and Government Psychology Public Administration Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Registered Nursing Religion/Religious Studies Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Sociology Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Statistics Sustainability Studies Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Teaching Visual and Performing Arts, General Zoology/Animal Biology