The average acceptance rate at UI over the past 10 years is 84.07%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 83.62%. The acceptance rate at UI is relatively high, giving applicants a greater chance of admission.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 22.87%, and the 2025 yield is 22.43%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 9.41% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of UI applicants increased by 8.13% (2,088 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 5.90% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 83.62%, showing a decreasing selectivity trend. This suggests that UI is admitting a higher proportion of applicants, which may indicate either an increase in application quality or a strategic enrollment decision by the institution.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 22.43%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at UI. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, UI received approximately 27,770 applications, admitted 23,222 students, and enrolled 5,208 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that UI 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.
UI 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at UI over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 84.07%, while the most recent rate stands at 83.62%. 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 83.62%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 81.82% and for women is 85.98%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at UI have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 80.74% | 77.61% | 83.41% |
| 2016-17 | 84.11% 3.37% |
81.90% 4.29% |
86.12% 2.70% |
| 2017-18 | 86.04% 1.93% |
83.93% 2.04% |
87.93% 1.82% |
| 2018-19 | 82.67% -3.37% |
79.69% -4.24% |
85.22% -2.71% |
| 2019-20 | 82.55% -0.12% |
79.79% 0.10% |
84.78% -0.44% |
| 2020-21 | 84.28% 1.73% |
81.95% 2.15% |
86.18% 1.39% |
| 2021-22 | 86.00% 1.72% |
84.00% 2.05% |
88.00% 1.82% |
| 2022-23 | 86.00% 0.01% |
86.80% 2.80% |
85.36% -2.65% |
| 2023-24 | 84.67% -1.33% |
81.80% -4.99% |
86.98% 1.62% |
| 2024-25 | 83.62% -1.05% |
80.77% -1.04% |
85.79% -1.19% |
| Average | 84.07% | 81.82% | 85.98% |
UI has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 24.76% in 2015 to 22.43% in 2025, representing a 9.41% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 22.87%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at UI from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 9.41% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 24.76% | 25.39% | 24.25% |
| 2016-17 | 23.54% -1.21% |
23.27% -2.12% |
23.78% -0.47% |
| 2017-18 | 21.07% -2.48% |
20.04% -3.24% |
21.95% -1.83% |
| 2018-19 | 21.77% 0.70% |
20.86% 0.82% |
22.50% 0.55% |
| 2019-20 | 23.29% 1.53% |
23.10% 2.24% |
23.44% 0.94% |
| 2020-21 | 22.18% -1.12% |
22.03% -1.06% |
22.29% -1.16% |
| 2021-22 | 23.00% 0.82% |
23.01% 0.97% |
24.00% 1.72% |
| 2022-23 | 23.40% 0.40% |
21.98% -1.02% |
24.31% 0.31% |
| 2023-24 | 23.29% -0.11% |
22.21% 0.23% |
23.93% -0.39% |
| 2024-25 | 22.43% -0.86% |
21.90% -0.31% |
22.61% -1.32% |
| Average | 22.87% | 22.38% | 23.31% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 26,083, the average number of admitted is 21,921, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 5,010.
The number of UI applicants increased by 8.13% (2,088 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 5.90% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at University of Iowa from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 26,222 | 21,171 | 5,241 |
| 2016-17 | 28,494 8.66% |
23,967 13.21% |
5,643 7.67% |
| 2017-18 | 27,734 -2.67% |
23,862 -0.44% |
5,027 -10.92% |
| 2018-19 | 26,706 -3.71% |
22,077 -7.48% |
4,806 -4.40% |
| 2019-20 | 25,928 -2.91% |
21,404 -3.05% |
4,986 3.75% |
| 2020-21 | 24,132 -6.93% |
20,338 -4.98% |
4,510 -9.55% |
| 2021-22 | 22,434 -7.04% |
19,293 -5.14% |
4,437 -1.62% |
| 2022-23 | 25,729 14.69% |
22,128 14.69% |
5,178 16.70% |
| 2023-24 | 25,682 -0.18% |
21,746 -1.73% |
5,064 -2.20% |
| 2024-25 | 27,770 8.13% |
23,222 6.79% |
5,208 2.84% |
| Average | 26,083 | 21,921 | 5,010 |
The following table compares University of Iowa' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa | 84.67% | 83.62% | -1.24% |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 15.64% | 17.94% | -12.82% |
| The Pennsylvania State University | - | - | - |
| University of Maryland-College Park | 44.79% | 44.84% | -0.11% |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 87.49% | 77.07% | 13.52% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 58.15% | 65.35% | -11.02% |
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