University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) vs University of Iowa (UIowa)

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of Los Angeles or the charming college town of Iowa City. University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Iowa (UIowa) offer distinct experiences, each with its own strengths and characteristics. UCLA, a public research university in Westwood, California, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, while UIowa, a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, is known for its strong liberal arts and sciences curriculum and its Big Ten athletic programs. Compare their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates in the table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
University of California-Los Angeles logo

University of California-Los Angeles

University of Iowa logo

University of Iowa

Overview

Location Los Angeles, California Iowa City, Iowa
Campus setting City: Large City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Quarter Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 97.0% 88.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 10.8% 86.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $60
SAT range N/A 1130 - 1350
ACT range N/A 22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score 18.0%
Students submitting ACT score 65.0%
Total number of applicants 139,489 22,434
Total number of admissions given out 15,028 19,340
Admitted students who chose to enroll 6,584 4,521
Yield rate 43.8% 23.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $36,173

Out of state: $65,927
In state: $24,686

Out of state: $46,649
Average net price $13,393 $17,599
Tuition
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
In state: $8,356

Out of state: $30,319
Room & board $16,763 $11,780
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

45.0%
Average amount $17,592
71.0%
Average amount $11,007
Students receiving federal student loan 11.0%
Average amount $4,391
44.0%
Average amount $5,282
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $19,764
10.0%
Average amount $16,747

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 32,122
Men 40.2% Women 59.8%
21,608
Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Graduate students 13,994
Men 50.5% Women 49.5%
8,301
Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 21.9% 39.4%
International students 14.5% 5.4%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 20,372 6,660
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas Washington New York Illinois Iowa Illinois Minnesota Wisconsin California

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.1% 73.7%
Dropout rate 3.7% 7.2%
Transferred out 3.6% 17.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $129,237
  • Year 2: $134,761
  • Year 3: $179,615
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $150,028
  • Year 2: $143,744
  • Year 3: $157,681
Applied Mathematics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $156,116
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $117,100
  • Year 2: $110,878
  • Year 3: $147,842
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,050
  • Year 2: $101,128
  • Year 3: $130,087
Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,202
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $126,081
Engineering, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $116,282
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $123,214
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,139
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $111,727
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,817
  • Year 2: $96,775
  • Year 3: $110,729
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,892
  • Year 2: $99,040
  • Year 3: $110,415
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $125,938
  • Year 2: $134,155
  • Year 3: $142,171
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,649
  • Year 2: $112,215
  • Year 3: $121,442
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,222
  • Year 2: $96,991
  • Year 3: $113,045
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $107,534
  • Year 2: $103,913
  • Year 3: $108,049
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,863
  • Year 2: $69,757
  • Year 3: $81,687
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,283
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $81,057
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,973
  • Year 2: $69,657
  • Year 3: $80,787
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,231
  • Year 2: $71,351
  • Year 3: $80,592
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,094
  • Year 2: $65,387
  • Year 3: $78,583
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,942
  • Year 2: $64,990
  • Year 3: $71,106

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The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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