Admissions Factors

What Iowa Looks For

Iowa rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and standardized test scores.

How Iowa rates each factor

Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.

Very important

Considered

Not considered

The numbers behind the class

Overall admit rate

79.9%

25,131 of 31,454 applicants

Early decision admit rate

No early decision

Admitted from the waitlist

Not reported

Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.86.

Email me what Iowa looks for

A link to this page, plus the comparison table for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

What does Iowa look for in applicants?

Iowa rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and standardized test scores.

Does Iowa consider legacy status?

Iowa rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.

Does Iowa track demonstrated interest?

Iowa rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".

Source: Iowa’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.