Safety Score
3.38 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Ames, IA · Clery Act 2023 · Public
Iowa State University
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 30,177-student campus.
- 3.38
- Incidents / 1k students
- #2,349
- Rank of 3,050
- #32
- IA rank
- 30,177
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
Iowa State University reports 3.38 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #2,349 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 78% of ranked campuses its size.
- 3.38
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #2,349
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 78%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 33
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
Iowa State University increased from 27 to 33 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesIowa State University is a Public institution located in Ames, IA, enrolling approximately 30,177 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 109 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within IA, it ranks #32 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 30,177 enrolled students, this campus sits in the large research university bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at Iowa State University is "Rape" with 44 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in IA averaging 4.22 incidents per 1,000 students, Iowa State University reports 20% fewer incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 8 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 45 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
National Rank
#2349
See peer comparison
State Rank (IA)
#32
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
33
across 11 crime categories
Where Iowa State University sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
3 safer than 22% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
Iowa State University percentile rank 23.0%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #2349 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
Iowa State University reports 20% fewer incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $10,787
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $28,881
- Avg Net Price
- $18,589
- Median Debt
- $22,869
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 19%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 89%
- SAT Average
- 1204
- SAT Math Range
- 560–690
- ACT Average
- 25
- ACT Range
- 21–28
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 75%
- Retention Rate
- 88%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $53,873
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $63,386
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 84%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 30,177 enrolled students, Iowa State University is in the largest 2% of the 5,673 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment. The safety score above already normalizes reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe. Use the annual crime table to see what was reported, then use the peer comparison to judge the rate against schools of a similar scale. A lower reported rate is not a guarantee of individual safety or a measure of reporting quality.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyIowa State University: on-campus incidents by year
Declining 33% (49 → 33 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Arson | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Burglary | 4 | 3 | 16 |
| Fondling | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 6 | 3 | 8 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 11 | 15 | 18 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
45 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 43 | 10 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 177 | 242 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 39 | 2 |
Iowa State University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
IA
Iowa State University
3.38 incidents / 1,000 students
PA
Temple University
2.02 incidents / 1,000 students
NC
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
2.28 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA · 30,205 enrolled
Safety Score 2.02
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC · 30,298 enrolled
Safety Score 2.28
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA · 30,042 enrolled
Safety Score 10.02
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, CA · 30,321 enrolled
Safety Score 0.63
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · 30,362 enrolled
Safety Score 6.16
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest Iowa State University nationally (rank #2349), regardless of size or state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Iowa State University safe?
Iowa State University has a safety score of 3.38 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #2,349 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at Iowa State University?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does Iowa State University compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in IA.
Does Iowa State University have fire safety data?
Yes. Iowa State University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 8 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding Iowa State University's Safety Profile
Iowa State University in Ames, IA enrolls 30,177 students and has a safety score of 3.38 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #2349 nationally.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents increased from 27 in 2022 to 33 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 8 fires were reported in the most recent year.
What this means for you
Iowa State University's 3.38 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh Iowa State University against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.