Test-optionalEA

University of Iowa

IA · Public · Midwest · National university · Top 100 tier · 22,264 undergraduates (large)

Admission rates

Latest admit rates

Overall admit rate83.6%
Early roundNot reported by roundEarly-round counts not in the CDS
Regular round†Not reported by roundEarly-round counts not in the CDS

† Not reported by round: this school publishes an overall admit rate but not applicant and admit counts for each round, so early and regular rates can’t be shown.

Trends, Fall 2019–Fall 2024

Admission rates

Overall
0%45%90%'19'20'21'22'23'2482.6%84.3%86.2%86.0%83.6%no data

Early plans

Fall 2027 applicants

Early Action, non-binding · School admissions page ↗What this means:

Testing

Testing policy

Fall 2027
Test-optionalSchool testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026
Fall 2028
Fall 2028 policy not yet announced.School testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026

Superscoring

What this means:

SAT
Does not superscore (highest single sitting)
ACT
Does not superscore (highest single sitting)

Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Test-optional for fall 2027 entry.

How to send scores

Self-report accepted; official scores only after admission/enrollment

Official-score due date comes from the admitted-students page. Iowa does not superscore.

School’s words: “Applicants can self-report a test score on the application for admission or apply without providing a test score. ... July 1 Official test scores and transcripts are due. ... Superscores will not be used for admission or scholarship consideration.”

Source 1 ↗ · Source 2 ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Students submitting scores

Est. % submitting scores‡75.1%SAT 18.5% + ACT 56.6%

‡ Est. % submitting scores adds the share of enrolled first-years who submitted the SAT to the share who submitted the ACT.

Submitted SAT18.5%
964 students
Submitted ACT56.6%
2,949 students

Score ranges (middle 50%)

Enrolled first-years who submitted scores, Fall 2024. A quarter scored below the range and a quarter above.

SAT composite
1140–1313 median 1230
10001600
SAT Reading & Writing
570–670 median 620
500800
SAT Math
560–660 median 610
500800
ACT composite
21–28 median 24
2036

Trends, Fall 2019–Fall 2024

Share of enrolled students submitting scores

SAT + ACT (est.)SATACT
0%50%100%'19'20'21'22'23'24100%100%83.0%84.0%75.1%29.0%27.0%18.0%21.0%18.51%87.0%87.0%65.0%63.0%56.62%no data

SAT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
160014001200'19'20'21'22'23'241140–1330133011401130–1310131011301140–1330133011401140–134013401140no data1140–131313131140

ACT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
3632282420'19'20'21'22'23'2422–29292222–29292222–29292222–282822no data21–282821

Waitlist admit rate

Share of students who stayed on the waitlist and were later admitted, by entering class.

  • 2024: 0.1%
  • 2021: 25%

What is a waitlist? How is it different from a deferral?

Test policy in each Common Data Set

History only. The current policy is under Testing above.

  1. Fall 2027 CDS not available2025-26 CDS
  2. Fall 2026 Test-optional2024-25 CDS
  3. Fall 2025 CDS not available2023-24 CDS
  4. Fall 2024 Test-optional2022-23 CDS
  5. Fall 2023 Required2021-22 CDS
  6. Fall 2022 Required2020-21 CDSAs the school reported it. Not borne out: in the class that entered Fall 2022, 21% submitted SAT and 63% ACT (2022-23 CDS).
  7. Fall 2021 Required2019-20 CDSAs the school reported it. Not borne out: in the class that entered Fall 2021, 18% submitted SAT and 65% ACT (2021-22 CDS).

Sources