Undergraduate Admission into Degree Programs Directly from High School

Students who seek admission must meet the following requirements and also any special requirements for the college or curriculum of their choice.

Applicants must submit an application for admission, together with a $20 application fee ($50 for international students), and have their secondary school provide an official transcript of their academic record, including credits and grades, rank in class, and certification of graduation.

Applicants must also arrange to have their scores from either the ACT Assessment (ACT) or the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I) reported to Iowa State directly from the testing agency. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is also required of applicants whose first language is not English, if their scores on the ACT or SAT are not adequate to place them into freshman composition courses at Iowa State. Applicants may be required to submit additional information or data to support their applications.

a. Graduates of approved Iowa high schools who have the subject-matter background required by Iowa State University and who rank in the upper half of their graduating class will be admitted. Students who do not rank in the upper half of their graduating class may be admitted to the university if they achieve the following combination of high school rank and ACT or SAT I scores: 

Those who do not meet these requirements but who have a high school rank of 20% or above may be given the opportunity to enroll for a trial period during a preceding summer session to establish their qualifications for fall admission. Those who have a high school rank below 20% (and an ACT below 24) will be denied admission. 

b. Nonresidents of Iowa, including international students, may be held to higher academic standards, but must meet at least the same requirements as resident applicants.

c. Applicants who are graduates of nonapproved high schools will be considered for admission in a manner similar to applicants from approved high schools, but additional emphasis will be given to scores earned on standardized examinations.

d. Applications may be considered from students who did not graduate with their high school classes. They will be required to submit all academic data to the extent that it exists and achieve scores on standardized examinations which will demonstrate that they are adequately prepared for academic study.

e. Students with superior academic records may be admitted, on an individual basis, for part-time university study while enrolled in high school or during the summers prior to high school graduation.

f. Exceptional students may be admitted as full-time students before completing high school. Early admission is provided to serve persons whose academic achievement and personal and intellectual maturity clearly suggest readiness for college-level study.


High School Preparation Required for Admission

Graduation from an approved high school shall ordinarily precede entrance into the university. Students who wish to enter Iowa State University directly from high school (or transfer from another college or university with less than 24 semester hours of graded transferable college credit) must meet the level of academic performance described above and show evidence of the following high school preparation:

English/Language Arts
Four years, emphasizing writing, speaking, and reading, as well as an understanding and appreciation of literature;
Mathematics
Three years, including one year each of algebra, geometry, and advanced algebra;
Science
Three years, including one year each of courses from two of the following fields: biology, chemistry, and physics;
Social Studies
Two years.

Additional Entrance Requirements for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
In addition to the high school preparation requirements described above, students applying to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must have completed an additional year of social studies, for a total of three years, and two years of a single foreign language.

Students who do not meet the high school course preparation requirements listed here, but who are otherwise well qualified, may be admitted after individual review of their applications.

			Undergraduate Admission into Degree Programs by Transfer from Other Educational Institutions
			Special Admission (Nondegree Undergraduate)

Admissions and Registrar

Admission     Residency     Summer Orientation     Registration     Credit by Examination (CBE)     Orientation and New Student Days