The average acceptance rate at ISU over the past 10 years is 89.41%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 88.66%. The acceptance rate at ISU is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The acceptance rate has decreased each year for the past 3 years, indicating increasing selectivity.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 32.15%, and the 2025 yield is 28.84%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 22.67% from 2015 to 2025.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 88.66%, demonstrating consistent admission standards over the past decade. The stability of this rate suggests that ISU maintains a predictable and steady admissions environment for prospective students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 28.84%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at ISU. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, ISU received approximately 23,095 applications, admitted 20,475 students, and enrolled 5,906 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that ISU is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
ISU 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at ISU over the past decade show a consistent pattern of increasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate declining year-over-year for 3 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 89.41%, while the most recent rate stands at 88.66%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 88.66%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 88.89% and for women is 89.99%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at ISU have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 87.15% | 86.27% | 88.18% |
| 2016-17 | 87.49% 0.34% |
86.78% 0.50% |
88.34% 0.17% |
| 2017-18 | 89.34% 1.85% |
88.59% 1.81% |
90.21% 1.87% |
| 2018-19 | 90.60% 1.26% |
90.51% 1.92% |
90.70% 0.49% |
| 2019-20 | 92.05% 1.46% |
92.20% 1.69% |
91.90% 1.20% |
| 2020-21 | 88.42% -3.63% |
88.28% -3.92% |
88.59% -3.32% |
| 2021-22 | 91.00% 2.58% |
90.00% 1.73% |
92.00% 3.41% |
| 2022-23 | 90.22% -0.78% |
89.58% -0.42% |
90.94% -1.06% |
| 2023-24 | 89.13% -1.09% |
87.85% -1.73% |
90.57% -0.37% |
| 2024-25 | 88.66% -0.48% |
88.86% 1.01% |
88.44% -2.13% |
| Average | 89.41% | 88.89% | 89.99% |
ISU has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 37.30% in 2015 to 28.84% in 2025, representing a 22.67% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 32.15%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at ISU from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 22.67% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 37.30% | 39.79% | 34.46% |
| 2016-17 | 37.20% -0.10% |
39.47% -0.32% |
34.54% 0.08% |
| 2017-18 | 34.54% -2.66% |
36.18% -3.29% |
32.66% -1.88% |
| 2018-19 | 35.40% 0.86% |
37.39% 1.21% |
33.06% 0.39% |
| 2019-20 | 33.32% -2.08% |
35.17% -2.22% |
31.36% -1.69% |
| 2020-21 | 28.36% -4.97% |
29.26% -5.91% |
27.36% -4.00% |
| 2021-22 | 29.00% 0.64% |
31.00% 1.74% |
27.00% -0.36% |
| 2022-23 | 28.96% -0.03% |
30.64% -0.36% |
27.11% 0.11% |
| 2023-24 | 28.59% -0.38% |
29.49% -1.15% |
27.60% 0.49% |
| 2024-25 | 28.84% 0.26% |
30.55% 1.05% |
27.04% -0.56% |
| Average | 32.15% | 33.89% | 30.22% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 20,355, the average number of admitted is 18,194, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 5,808.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Iowa State University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 19,164 | 16,702 | 6,230 |
| 2016-17 | 19,433 1.40% |
17,002 1.80% |
6,325 1.52% |
| 2017-18 | 19,262 -0.88% |
17,208 1.21% |
5,944 -6.02% |
| 2018-19 | 18,855 -2.11% |
17,082 -0.73% |
6,047 1.73% |
| 2019-20 | 18,246 -3.23% |
16,796 -1.67% |
5,597 -7.44% |
| 2020-21 | 20,223 10.84% |
17,882 6.47% |
5,071 -9.40% |
| 2021-22 | 20,357 0.66% |
18,525 3.60% |
5,372 5.94% |
| 2022-23 | 21,919 7.67% |
19,776 6.75% |
5,728 6.63% |
| 2023-24 | 22,995 4.91% |
20,496 3.64% |
5,859 2.29% |
| 2024-25 | 23,095 0.43% |
20,475 -0.10% |
5,906 0.80% |
| Average | 20,355 | 18,194 | 5,808 |
The following table compares Iowa State University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University | 89.13% | 88.66% | -0.53% |
| University of Kansas | 93.48% | 88.20% | 5.99% |
| Kansas State University | 81.69% | 79.36% | 2.94% |
| The University of Texas at Austin | 26.64% | 29.12% | -8.52% |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | 76.60% | 76.54% | 0.08% |
| Texas Tech University | 72.65% | 70.89% | 2.48% |
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