Paying for ISU

How much does Iowa State University tuition?

The 2025 tuition & fees of Iowa State University is $10,787 for in-state and $28,881 for out-of-state students. Its tuition & fees is lower than the average tuition for R1 Universities' tuition of $39,763 based on out-of-state tuition rate.

Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at ISU is $11,085 for Iowa residents and $30,131 for out-of-state students, a 4.3% increase compared to 2025's rate.

ISU 2025 Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-StateR1 Universities' Average
2023-2024$10,497 $27,683$38,374
2024-2025$10,787$28,881$39,763
Change % 2024-20252.76%4.33%3.62%
2025-2026 Estimate$11,085$30,131$41,202
Explore Iowa State University

How much do you actually pay at ISU?

The living costs at ISU is $13,208 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 4.69% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs decreased by 1.11%.

The ISU's 2025 COA is $24,695 for in-state and $42,789 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $23,963 for in-state and $42,057 for out-of-state students.

73% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $10,270. It could cover 35.56% of the full tuition amount.

After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $14,425 for in-state and $32,519 for out-of-state students..

Iowa State University 2025 Cost of Attendance (COA)
On-CampusOff-Campus
In-StateOut-StateIn-StateOut-State
Tuition & Fees$10,787$28,881$10,787$28,881
Room & Board$10,808$9,576
Personal Expenses$2,400$2,900
Books & Supplies$700$700
COA$24,695$42,789$23,963$42,057
COA with Financial Aid$14,425$32,519$13,693$31,787

ISU 4-Years Tuition

How Much is ISU tuition for 4 years?

ISU's 4-years tuition is $43,878 for in-state and $118,550 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.

Since the tuition & fees at Iowa State University have risen very slightly (very lower than national average) over the last 4 years, the actual costs may differ from the estimation based on the school or University system's new tuition policy.

ISU 4 Years Tuition & Fees Estimates
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$10,860$10,932$11,006$11,080$43,878
Out-of-State$29,181$29,483$29,789$30,098$118,550
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$10,932$11,006$11,080$11,154$44,173
Out-of-State$29,483$29,789$30,098$30,410$119,780
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$11,006$11,080$11,154$11,229$44,470
Out-of-State$29,789$30,098$30,410$30,725$121,022
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$11,080$11,154$11,229$11,305$44,769
Out-of-State$30,098$30,410$30,725$31,044$122,277
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$11,154$11,229$11,305$11,381$45,069
Out-of-State$30,410$30,725$31,044$31,366$123,545

Net Price for 4 Years at ISU

Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $100,156 for Iowa residents and $174,829 for out-of-state students.

ISU 4 Years COA
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$24,818$24,956$25,181$25,408$100,156
Out-of-State$43,139$43,507$43,892$44,291$174,829
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$24,956$25,109$25,336$25,565$100,788
Out-of-State$43,507$43,892$44,291$44,705$176,395
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$25,109$25,274$25,503$25,734$101,466
Out-of-State$43,892$44,291$44,705$45,130$178,018
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$25,274$25,449$25,681$25,914$102,186
Out-of-State$44,291$44,705$45,130$45,568$179,694
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$25,449$25,635$25,868$26,104$102,943
Out-of-State$44,705$45,130$45,568$46,015$181,418

Actual COA after Receiving Financial Aid

After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $59,076 for Iowa residents and $133,749 for out-of-state students.

ISU 4 Years COA after Receiving Financial Aid
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$14,548$14,686$14,911$15,138$59,076
Out-of-State$32,869$33,237$33,622$34,021$133,749
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$14,686$14,839$15,066$15,295$59,708
Out-of-State$33,237$33,622$34,021$34,435$135,315
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$14,839$15,004$15,233$15,464$60,386
Out-of-State$33,622$34,021$34,435$34,860$136,938
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$15,004$15,179$15,411$15,644$61,106
Out-of-State$34,021$34,435$34,860$35,298$138,614
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$15,179$15,365$15,598$15,834$61,863
Out-of-State$34,435$34,860$35,298$35,745$140,338

ISU's Graduate Tuition

The graduate school tuition at Iowa State University is $12,967 for in-state and $30,577 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at ISU graduate program page.

ISU Graduate Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-State
2023-2024$12,451 $29,303
2024-2025$12,967$30,577
Change % 2024-20254.14%4.35%
2025-2026$13,504$31,906

Tuition Per Credit Hour

For part-time and/or full-time students who take additional credits at ISU is $386 for Iowa residents and $1,139 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour is $638 for Iowa residents and $1,617 for out-of-state students.

Per Credit Hour Charge at ISU
YearIn-StateOut-of-State
Undergraduate2023-2024$376$1,091
2024-2025$386$1,139
2025-2026 (Estimate)$396$1,189
Graduate2023-2024$611$1,548
2024-2025$638$1,617
2025-2026 (Estimate)$666$1,689

ISU Tuition Charts

The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at ISU. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.

Compare Tuition with Similar Colleges

The following table compares tuition & fees between Iowa State University and its similar schools.

Compare Details
Tuition Comparison between ISU and Similar Colleges
In-StateOut-of-State
Iowa State University$10,787$28,881
West Virginia University$10,104$28,608
University of Kansas$12,102$30,432
Texas Tech University$11,852$24,157
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus$10,110$25,630
Texas Christian University$61,740

ISU Tuition Frequently Asked Questions

For the academic year 2024-2025, the undergraduate tuition & fees at ISU are $10,787 for Iowa residents and $28,881 for out-of-state students.
The total cost of attendance (COA) at ISU for the academic year 2024-2025 includes tuition & fees, books & supplies, and living expenses. For in-state students, the estimated COA is $24,695 and $42,789 for out-of-state students. Actual costs may vary depending on housing choices and personal expenses.
It has been risen by 2.76% for Iowa residents and increased by 4.33% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year. The graduate tuition has been risen by 4.14% for Iowa residents and increased by 4.35% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year.
73% of ISU undergraduates receive grants or scholarships, with an average aid amount of $10,270 per student. Additional financial aid options are available through ISU's financial aid office.

In-State (Iowa Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $100,156, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $11,080 per year, which would total around $43,878 over four years.

Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $174,829. The tuition and fees are around $30,098 per year, totaling about $118,550 over four years.

ISU charges $386 per credit hour for in-state undergraduates and $1,139 for out-of-state undergraduates. Graduate students pay $638 (in-state) or $1,617 (out-of-state) per credit hour.

The in-state undergraduate tuition at ISU is a little bit lower than the average for similar schools ($12,338 - public Research University (very high research activity)).

The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at ISU is about the same as the average for similar schools ($31,723 - public Research University (very high research activity)).

The in-state graduate tuition at ISU is about the same as the average for similar schools ($14,181 - public Research University (very high research activity)).

The out-of-state graduate tuition at ISU is about the same as the average for similar schools ($29,952 - public Research University (very high research activity)).

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