Graduate Application Information

Admission requirements are determined by both the Graduate College and the individual graduate programs. Below are the general criteria for graduate admission at Iowa State University:

Degree requirement

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university before beginning graduate studies. This is a fundamental requirement and appeals to waive it are not considered.

International degrees

International degrees must be equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree or higher and granted by a college or university recognized by the Ministry of Education in that country.

Note: 3-year degrees from India, Bangladesh, Canada (excluding Quebec), Nepal, and Pakistan are not accepted. Degrees from other countries are evaluated individually.

Minimum GPA

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (equivalent to a B grade) is required for admission.

English proficiency

Applicants must meet the English proficiency requirements set by both the Graduate College and the specific graduate program they are applying to, prior to enrollment.

GRE/GMAT

While Iowa State University does not have a university-wide requirement for the GRE or GMAT, most graduate programs require one of these tests. Applicants should review the specific requirements of their intended program.

These criteria help ensure that all admitted students are prepared for success in their graduate studies.

The Iowa State University Graduate College offers over 350 programs of study. Ensure that you have familiarized yourself with the details of those you are most interested, including the programs’ admission requirements, deadlines, and graduate support contact information by viewing our Graduate Programs page.

Application fee

• Domestic applicants (U.S. citizens, permanent residents, refugees, asylees, DACA, or undocumented individuals): $60 (nonrefundable).
• International applicants: $100 (nonrefundable).

Fee collection

Some programs may postpone the application fee collection until after your application has been reviewed. If you are admitted, your program may cover the fee or defer it to your first university bill upon enrollment.

Applying to multiple programs

• Each program requires a separate nonrefundable application fee (e.g. $120 for two domestic applications or $180 for three).
• Each application requires the submission of supporting materials even when application requirements are the same.
• Each program may have unique or additional requirements, which can be viewed in your Admissions MyAccount.
• Programs will be informed if you are applying to multiple programs.

Fee waivers

• Fee waivers are available exclusively for McNair Scholars.
• Application fees for U.S. military veterans and active service members will be deferred until enrollment.

Uploading records for review

Applicants may upload copies of academic records for initial application review. If you are offered admission, you will be required to provide official academic records. Detailed instructions can be found in the Uploading Documents and Official Academic Records sections.

What are academic records?

Academic records go by different names worldwide. For example:

• In the U.S.: Transcripts
• In India: Annual Mark Sheets
• In Spanish-speaking countries: Certificado de Estudios
• In France: Relevé de Notes

Records are considered official when they bear the original stamp or seal of the institution's authorized official (e.g., registrar, principal, or controller of exams). Documents certified by professors, lecturers, or other non-authorized personnel are not considered official. Records printed from a school’s website are also not accepted.

International transcript evaluations

International students may submit course-by-course evaluations from World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). These evaluations must include copies of your transcripts in a single PDF and be uploaded to the transcript action item on your Admissions MyAccount.

Specific requirements for applicants from India

• Submit required semester or annual mark sheets.
• College-issued mark sheets are only accepted from autonomous colleges.
• Consolidated mark sheets are accepted only if they include all attempts, retakes, and failures.
• Degree statements must be issued and certified by the granting university, not the college.
• When uploading mark sheets, use the "Transcripts" section, not "Exams."

Electronic copies of transcripts

If your transcript includes an encrypted electronic signature, it cannot be uploaded directly. Print a copy, rescan it, and then upload the rescanned version.

Translations

Academic records must be in the official language of the country where they were earned. If the language is not English, include a literal (word-for-word) English translation from a qualified translator alongside the original document. Interpretative translations are not accepted.

For previous Iowa State students

If you were previously enrolled at Iowa State, you do not need to request your transcripts. The Office of Admissions will retrieve them directly.

All letters of recommendation must be received before application deadlines for your application to be considered complete and ready for evaluation. 

FERPA and waiving your review rights

Under the U.S. Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), enrolled students have the right to access their application files, including letters of recommendation. Many institutions, including Iowa State, offer applicants the option to voluntarily waive this right, meaning you forgo the ability to view recommendation letters if you enroll.

Considerations for waiving your rights:

• Recommenders are often more candid when letters remain confidential.
• Some recommenders may refuse to write letters for applicants who do not waive their rights.
• Your waiver selection can be changed from visible to waived by managing your LORs (section below) after your application has been submitted.
• Once you have chosen to waive your right to view your applications, you cannot switch your choice to view them. 

Email notifications for LOR requests

If a recommender does not receive the email notification with the link to submit their recommendation, take the following steps:

1. Verify the email address entered on your application for accuracy. If incorrect, update the address in your Admissions MyAccount and send a reminder.
2. If the address is correct, ask the recommender to check their spam or junk mail folder.
3. As a last resort, the recommender can provide an alternative email address or use the PDF Letter of Recommendation form available on our website (instructions below).

Managing online LORs

Iowa State’s Admissions MyAccount system allows you to track and manage your online LOR requests.

Steps to access and manage LORs:

1. Log in to Admissions MyAccount.
2. Select “View my Application(s)” to track the status of LORs.
3. Utilize the following options as needed:
   • Cancel: Remove an incomplete request and add a new recommender.
   • Resend: Send a reminder email to a recommender.
   • Edit: Correct email address errors or update information if the recommender opts to submit a paper letter.
   • Add new recommender: Send a request to a new recommender not listed on your original application.

Submitting PDF LORs

If a recommender prefers not to use the online system, follow these steps:

1. Download the PDF Letter of Recommendation form from our website.
2. Complete Sections 1 and 3, then save the form.
3. Send the form to your recommender, ensuring you include the contact information (email or postal address) for the program to which you are applying. Program contact details can be found in the program requirements section of the website.

Important notes for PDF LORs:

• PDF recommendations cannot be tracked in Admissions MyAccount. They must be sent directly to the graduate program office.
• Programs may upload received PDF letters to your Admissions MyAccount on your behalf.
• Do not send PDF LORs to the Office of Admissions.

By following these guidelines, you ensure your recommendation letters are submitted smoothly and support your application effectively.

To streamline the application process and save you the time, effort, and expense of mailing materials, Iowa State allows you to upload supplemental documents directly to your Admissions MyAccount after submitting your application. These materials will be used for the admission decision.

Uploading documents

Documents should be uploaded directly to the action items listed in your Admissions MyAccount. You can also upload additional documents not explicitly requested, which may still be reviewed by programs during the evaluation process.

Required materials for all applicants:

• Statement of purpose
• Scanned copies of official academic records and degree statements: These should include records from any institution where you earned (or will earn) a bachelor’s degree and any post-bachelor’s institutions. Do NOT upload web-based transcripts or grade reports.
• Program-specific supplemental forms or materials: Refer to program requirements listed in your Admissions MyAccount.

Do NOT upload the following:

• Undergraduate records for only one semester or fewer than 15 credits
• Secondary or pre-university records
• Merit certificates or participation certificates
• Web-based advising reports or online transcripts
• Grade reports or degree audits
• Theses or dissertations (unless requested)

Scanning tips

To ensure your documents meet requirements:

• Save documents as PDF files. TIFF, JPEG, or Word files will not be accepted.
• For electronic transcripts, download, print, and scan them before uploading to avoid encryption issues.
• Scan transcripts from multiple schools as individual files.
• Include a single copy of the grading scale (legend/key) if your academic record includes one.
• Use a resolution of 300 dpi or less to keep files legible and under the size limit of 30 MB.
• If the scanned file is too large, photocopy the document and scan the copy.
• Verify that scanned documents are clear and legible before uploading.
• Combine relevant academic documents by institution. For example, upload original language transcripts and English translations together as a single document.

Managing your documents

In your Admissions MyAccount, you can track and manage all requested action items and upload documents. Keep in mind:

• Documents must be in PDF format.
• Each file must not exceed 30 MB.

Technical difficulties

If you are unable to prepare legible scanned documents, your application will still be fully considered as long as official transcripts are received by the Office of Admissions by the required deadline.

Important notes on academic integrity

Iowa State reserves the right to rescind admission offers if discrepancies are found between uploaded and official documents, if any records are forged or altered, or if essays, statements, or supplemental materials contain plagiarized content. If such issues are discovered after enrollment, disciplinary action, including dismissal, may be taken.

By following these guidelines, you ensure that your application materials are complete, accurate, and submitted on time for review.

Deadlines mark the final step in the application process—the point by which your application must be complete—rather than the starting point. To ensure timely consideration, all required materials (including letters of recommendation) should be submitted by the program's stated deadline. It’s important to note that graduate programs differ in their policies regarding late applications, so meeting the deadline is strongly encouraged.

For more information about affording tuition and financial aid, review the Office of Student Financial Aid's website for graduate students.

Office of Student Financial Aid

Visit our International Graduate Applicants webpage to learn more about specific application requirements.

International graduate applicants

Once your online application, required academic records, and required documents are received, the Office of Admissions will review your file for completeness. During peak review periods, this process may take up to three weeks.

• If action items, such as academic records or other required documents, remain unresolved, your file will be marked as “Incomplete.” You will receive an email prompting you to log into your Admissions MyAccount to review and address these items. It may take multiple business days between when documents have been submitted and the status is changed from “Received” to “Complete”.  Please do not reach out to the Admissions Office if the status does not change immediately after submission.
• Once your file is complete, it will be forwarded to the admissions committee of the graduate program(s) to which you applied for further review.

Program-specific reviews:

• Some programs review applications on a rolling basis.
• Others evaluate all applicants at the same time, often beginning in February or March.

For information on decision timelines, please contact the specific graduate program directly.

Admission decision process

1. The graduate program submits an admission recommendation to the Graduate College for approval by the Dean.
2. If the recommendation is approved, the Office of Admissions takes formal action and processes your admission.

Notification of admission

• Some departments notify applicants of their recommendation to the Graduate College.
• Others wait until the Graduate College has approved the decision, and the Office of Admissions has sent the official offer of admission.
• All graduate applicants receive their official admission offer via email.

International applicants

For F-1 or J-1 visa holders:

• Admissions reviews your financial documentation to confirm you can cover educational and living expenses (including those of any dependents) throughout your program.
• If additional documentation is needed, you will be notified.
• Once funding requirements are met (via private funds, scholarships, or program funding), your file will be released for issuance of the visa eligibility form (I-20 or DS-2019).

Visa documents

• The I-20 form will be issued through the International Student Services Office.
• Students residing outside the U.S. will receive the I-20 form via email.

Accepting your offer

To enroll at Iowa State, you must formally accept your offer of admission:

• Log into your Admissions MyAccount to accept the offer once it is processed.
• For questions about your admission offer, contact your graduate program directly. Contact details can be found in the program requirements section.

Students being extended an offer of admission may receive a congratulatory communication from the program of study. This does not qualify as an official offer of admission. Official offer of admission notification is sent from the Office Admissions. 

After receiving the offer, applicants must login to their Admissions MyAccount. From this page, you will need to locate and click the “Accept Offer of Admission” button. Only after completing this process will the new student onboarding task checklist be assigned and visible on your MyAccount.

Admission deferrals may be granted only up to a maximum of one year, with program approval. If admitted students wish to defer for longer than one year, they will need to decline their admission offer and reapply at that time. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Applicants may initiate deferral requests by contacting the program of study for approval of the request.

We are always happy to assist students throughout the application process. Before reaching out, we kindly ask that you review all instructions carefully, as your questions may already be addressed. Additionally, we offer a helpful list of frequently asked questions on our website.

To ensure you are directed to the appropriate office, please note the following areas of responsibility:

Office of Admissions handles:

• Online application form
• Uploading documents
• Academic records and degrees
• English proficiency exams
• Letters of recommendation

Graduate programs handle:

• GRE/GMAT examinations
• Admissions or denial decisions
• Assistantship decisions

Contact information

Office of Admissions

100 Enrollment Services Center
2433 Union Drive
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2011

Phone: 515-294-5836
Fax: 515-294-2592
Email: admissions@iastate.edu

Graduate programs

Please search for your specific program to find the appropriate contact information.