Iowa
Iowa SAT and ACT Requirements
Iowa is outside the 100 schools in our test policy tracker, so check its admissions site for the current policy. The middle 50% of enrolled first-year students scored 1130 to 1330 on the SAT and 21 to 28 on the ACT.
2026-27 policy
Not tracked
SAT middle 50%
1130–1330
ACT middle 50%
21–28
Acceptance rate
84%
Iowa SAT scores by section
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 570 | 670 |
| Math | 560 | 660 |
| Total | 1130 | 1330 |
| ACT Composite | 21 | 28 |
The total is the sum of the section percentiles, the standard way to estimate a middle 50% for the combined score.
Where your score puts you
- Below 1130: lower than three quarters of enrolled students. A retake has the most upside here.
- 1130 to 1330: in line with the class. The rest of your application decides it.
- Above 1330: higher than three quarters of enrolled students. Testing is no longer what holds the application back.
Keep these numbers
Frequently asked questions
Does Iowa require the SAT or ACT?
Iowa is outside the 100 schools in our test policy tracker, so check its admissions site for the current policy.
What SAT score do you need for Iowa?
The published range is not a cutoff. Among enrolled first-year students, a quarter scored below 1130, half scored between 1130 and 1330, and a quarter scored above 1330. A score at or above 1330 puts you ahead of most of the class on testing; a score below 1130 works against you.
What ACT score do you need for Iowa?
The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 21 to 28 on the ACT. On the official conversion table that is an SAT 1080 to 1310.
Score ranges: College Scorecard API — U.S. Department of Education (api.data.gov) and Editorial overrides layer (overrides.json) — Common Data Set & institutional sources. They describe students who enrolled, not everyone admitted.
