West Virginia vs Iowa State - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
Real money goes to international students at West Virginia ($21,636 on average), while Iowa State stops at $12,582.
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Iowa State: $63K against $56K.
140 points separate the SAT profiles: 1250 (Iowa State) against 1110.
Neither is international in practice: the share of foreign students does not exceed 3.7%.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
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
Iowa State is the more selective of the two (88.66% vs 89% acceptance). Iowa State graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($63K vs $56K). West Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,608 vs $28,881 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 West Virginia for: lower tuition, a larger aid package.
Choose Iowa State for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Iowa State is more selective (88.66% vs 89% acceptance); Iowa State has a higher median SAT (1250 vs 1110).
Iowa State graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($63K vs $56K); Iowa State has a higher 6-year graduation rate (75.3% vs 64.7%).
West Virginia has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,608 vs $28,881); West Virginia offers a larger average aid package ($16,730 vs $15,665).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | West Virginia | Iowa State |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #501-600 | #501-600 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 89% | 88.66% |
| Yield rate | 26.5% | 28.8% |
| Median SAT | 1110 | 1250 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.70 | 3.75 |
| Number of applications | 20,150 | 23,095 |
| International students | 1.7% | 3.7% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $56K | $63K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $36K | $44K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $84K | $90K |
| Graduation rate | 64.7% | 75.3% |
| Retention rate | 83.4% | 87.6% |
| Median debt | $22,500 | $22,869 |
| Tuition · year | $28,608 | $28,881 |
| Avg. aid package | $16,730 | $15,665 |
| % of need met | 63% | 78% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $36,010 | $29,475 |
| Application fee | $65 | $40 |
| Enrollment | 23,643 | 30,432 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into West Virginia or Iowa State?
It's harder to get into Iowa State. West Virginia accepts 89% of applicants, while Iowa State accepts 88.66%.
Do West Virginia or Iowa State graduates earn more?
Iowa State graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $63K vs $56K.
How much is tuition at West Virginia vs Iowa State?
Sticker-price tuition is $28,608 per year at West Virginia and $28,881 per year at Iowa State.
What SAT score do you need for West Virginia or Iowa State?
The median admitted SAT score is 1110 at West Virginia and 1250 at Iowa State; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university offers more financial aid - West Virginia or Iowa State?
The average aid package is $16,730 at West Virginia and $15,665 at Iowa State.
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