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Colleges in and near Ames

Ames is a college town: 42 of every 100 residents are students

Iowa State University (29,194 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Iowa, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town42% of residents are studentsIowa State University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Ames. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
29,194 students on campus
Nearest college
1.4 mi
Iowa State
Residents in college
42%
Above IA (6%)
Nearest community college
22 mi
Des Moines Area · $5,790 tuition
Nearest public university
1.4 mi
Iowa State · $10,787 in-state
Students on campus in Ames
29,194
next to 68,220 residents

What stands out about college in Ames

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town42 of every 100 Ames residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.A university in AmesIowa State University has 29,194 students on campus in Ames, 75% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Iowa StateLiving in Iowa, Iowa State University charges $10,787 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $28,881. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 22 miles awayDes Moines Area Community College in Ankeny: tuition and fees $5,790 a year for Iowa residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Ames

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

42 of every 100 Ames residents are in college (IA: 6).

29,194students on campus at Iowa State University, next to 68,220 residents (dorm students count as residents)
16,620college students live in Ames households rather than dorms
23.3median age · IA 38.6
53%of residents are men · IA 50% (±0.5 points)
58%of homes rented · IA 28%
$1,023median rent · 5% above the state
AmesAmes, IA
Cost of living$1,023/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBIB−HealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Ames’ other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 25.6% of Ames residents are below the poverty line, 10.5% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 60% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (42% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Ames’ median age is 23.3 (Iowa 38.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Ames

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Ames.

5 mi10 mi15 miIowa StateAmes
University or collegeCommunity college
Iowa State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 29,194 on campus · In Ames89%admitted$19knet price75%graduate$63kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Ames’ median household income ($60,991) falls.

Iowa State UniversityIn Ames · sticker $24,018$15,463a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Ames: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Iowa State
Iowa State University75% graduate$63k earnings$23k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Ames

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Iowa State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Engineering 21%Business 20%Agriculture 10%Biology 6%Computer science 6%Education 4%Everything else 33%

Biggest programs

Mechanical Engineering356 graduates a year
$86k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations345 graduates a year
$78k4 yrs out
Marketing331 graduates a year
$66k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness250 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Psychology, General246 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Computer Engineering243 graduates a year
$106k4 yrs out
Animal Sciences235 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods231 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Ames

Is Ames a college town?

Yes. 42 of every 100 Ames residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Iowa. Iowa State University has 29,194 students on campus, next to 68,220 residents.

What colleges are in Ames?

Iowa State University is inside the city. Des Moines Area Community College is 22 miles away in Ankeny.

Why is Ames’ poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 25.6% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 10.5% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).

What is the closest community college to Ames, and what does it cost?

Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, 22 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,790 a year for Iowa residents; the federal net price, $11,171, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Iowa State University?

Iowa State University admitted 89% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,120–1,360 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Ames. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →