Stony Brook vs Iowa State - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The lower acceptance rate belongs to Stony Brook: 49% against 88.7% (Iowa State).
The share of international students differs sharply: 10.2% (Stony Brook) against 3.7% (Iowa State).
Average aid for an international student is $12,582 (Iowa State) and $2,834 (Stony Brook).
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Stony Brook: $75K against $63K.
The indicators describe a university as a whole, and your own course can sit a long way from that average.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Stony Brook is the more selective of the two (49.04% vs 88.66% acceptance). Stony Brook ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#301-400 vs #501-600). Stony Brook graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($75K vs $63K). Iowa State has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,881 vs $32,741 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Stony Brook for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Iowa State for: lower tuition, a larger aid package.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Stony Brook is more selective (49.04% vs 88.66% acceptance); Stony Brook has a higher median SAT (1410 vs 1250).
Stony Brook graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($75K vs $63K); Stony Brook has a higher 6-year graduation rate (75.6% vs 75.3%).
Iowa State has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,881 vs $32,741); Iowa State offers a larger average aid package ($15,665 vs $15,261).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Stony Brook | Iowa State |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #301-400 | #501-600 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 49.04% | 88.66% |
| Yield rate | 14.7% | 28.8% |
| Median SAT | 1410 | 1250 |
| Avg. GPA | - | 3.75 |
| Number of applications | 55,880 | 23,095 |
| International students | 10.2% | 3.7% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $75K | $63K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $49K | $44K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $107K | $90K |
| Graduation rate | 75.6% | 75.3% |
| Retention rate | 89.7% | 87.6% |
| Median debt | $18,228 | $22,869 |
| Tuition · year | $32,741 | $28,881 |
| Avg. aid package | $15,261 | $15,665 |
| % of need met | 0.6% | 78% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $23,558 | $29,475 |
| Application fee | - | $40 |
| Enrollment | 26,689 | 30,432 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Stony Brook or Iowa State?
It's harder to get into Stony Brook. Stony Brook accepts 49.04% of applicants, while Iowa State accepts 88.66%.
Do Stony Brook or Iowa State graduates earn more?
Stony Brook graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $75K vs $63K.
How much is tuition at Stony Brook vs Iowa State?
Sticker-price tuition is $32,741 per year at Stony Brook and $28,881 per year at Iowa State.
What SAT score do you need for Stony Brook or Iowa State?
The median admitted SAT score is 1410 at Stony Brook and 1250 at Iowa State; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Stony Brook or Iowa State?
Stony Brook ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #301-400 for Stony Brook vs #501-600 for Iowa State.
Which university offers more financial aid - Stony Brook or Iowa State?
The average aid package is $15,261 at Stony Brook and $15,665 at Iowa State.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern