IA
Iowa State University
3.29 incidents / 1,000 students
Ames, IA · Clery Act 2024 · Public
Iowa State University
Across 2022–2024, Iowa State University reported 116 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count rose over that span (largest filed category: Rape). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: University of Iowa.
- 3.29
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,356
- Rank of 2,072
- #27
- IA rank
- 30,380
- Enrolled students
3.29 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
Iowa State University reports 3.29 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 4% below American River College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: American River College (0.13/1k); Harvard University (7.63/1k); Johns Hopkins University (7.38/1k); Broward College (1.04/1k); Bakersfield College (1.04/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes University of Iowa (9.58/1k); University of Northern Iowa (6.14/1k); Drake University (3.68/1k); Upper Iowa University (1.27/1k); Maharishi International University (4.24/1k); Saint Ambrose University (6.81/1k); Waldorf University (8.54/1k); Palmer College of Chiropractic (2.31/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 3.29
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #1,356
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 65%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 56
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 153603 · Iowa State University 3.29/1k score rate · #1,356/2,072
RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-LARGE · FIRE-REPORT
- RATE-MID 3.29/1k
- RANK-LOWER #1,356/2,072
- ST-MID #27 in state
- ABOVE-PEER Broward College · +2.25
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-UP ↑ 107%
- CAT-LEAD Rape
- ENR-LARGE 30,380
- FIRE-REPORT 8 fires
Nearest enrollment peer: Broward College (-2.25/1k)
Iowa State University sheet RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-LARGE · FIRE-REPORT · peer Broward College. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-LARGE · FIRE-REPORT. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is Broward College (-2.25/1k). National rank #1,356 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
Iowa State University reports 3.29 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 4% below American River College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: American River College (0.13/1k); Harvard University (7.63/1k); Johns Hopkins University (7.38/1k); Broward College (1.04/1k); Bakersfield College (1.04/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes University of Iowa (9.58/1k); University of Northern Iowa (6.14/1k); Drake University (3.68/1k); Upper Iowa University (1.27/1k); Maharishi International University (4.24/1k); Saint Ambrose University (6.81/1k); Waldorf University (8.54/1k); Palmer College of Chiropractic (2.31/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around Iowa State University
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest Iowa on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- American River College · lowest peer 0.13
American River College — lowest peer
0.13 per 1,000 students
- Broward College · near 1.04
Broward College — near
1.04 per 1,000 students
- Bakersfield College · near 1.04
Bakersfield College — near
1.04 per 1,000 students
- Iowa State University · this campus
Iowa State University — this campus
3.29 per 1,000 students
- Harvard University · highest peer
Harvard University — highest peer
7.63 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around Iowa State University's 3.29/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
Iowa State University increased from 33 to 56 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 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 changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 IA 4-year peers in this comparison, Iowa State University is larger than 97% and safer-reporting than 53% - the larger, safer-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Iowa State University: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orion Technical College | 41 | 0.00 | 0 | 83 |
| Divine Word College | 64 | 0.00 | 3 | 83 |
| Wartburg Theological Seminary | 161 | 0.00 | 6 | 83 |
| St Luke's College | 176 | 0.00 | 8 | 83 |
| Emmaus Bible College | 234 | 0.00 | 11 | 83 |
| Allen College | 483 | 2.07 | 14 | 67 |
| Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | 611 | 0.00 | 17 | 83 |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences | 869 | 3.45 | 19 | 50 |
| Briar Cliff University | 947 | 2.11 | 22 | 64 |
| Clarke University | 962 | 4.16 | 25 | 44 |
| Central College | 1,084 | 7.38 | 28 | 19 |
| Iowa State University (this campus) | 30,380 | 3.29 | 97 | 53 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 30,380 enrolled students, Iowa State University is the 108th largest of the 5,585 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment, ahead of 5,477 of them. Closest same-state same-level scored peers by enrollment: University of Iowa (9.58/1k); University of Northern Iowa (6.14/1k); Drake University (3.68/1k); Upper Iowa University (1.27/1k); Maharishi International University (4.24/1k); Saint Ambrose University (6.81/1k); Waldorf University (8.54/1k); Palmer College of Chiropractic (2.31/1k). The score above normalizes 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA 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 (American River College is the nearest similar-enrollment comparison on this profile).
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at Iowa State University rose from 33 to 56 (+70%). The increase shows up in Motor Vehicle Theft (6 to 22), Fondling (3 to 9) and Burglary (4 to 9). Falling over the same period: Arson (6 to 2) and Rape (11 to 10).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at Iowa State University
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 6 Clery Act categories here: Rape, Motor Vehicle Theft, Fondling, Burglary, Arson and Aggravated Assault.
The remaining 5 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, among them Incest, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter and Robbery. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyIowa State University: Criminal Offenses by year
Rising 107% (27 → 56 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 27 |
| 2023 | 33 |
| 2024 | 56 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rape | 10 | 11 | 15 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 22 | 6 | 3 |
| Fondling | 9 | 3 | 5 |
| Burglary | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| Arson | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| Aggravated Assault | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
45 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 45 | 8 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 163 | 230 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 43 | 10 |
Iowa State University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
CA
American River College
0.13 incidents / 1,000 students
MA
Harvard University
7.63 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where Iowa State University sits on price and outcomes
At $18,589, Iowa State University's reported average net price is cheaper than 56% among 68 Iowa colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $17,813.
- $18,589
- average net price
- $17,813
- Iowa median
- 2.4×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $11,914
- reported income-bracket spread
Aid here is steeply income-scaled. Families reporting under $30,000 of income record a net price of $10,582, while those above $110,000 record $22,496 - roughly 2.1 times as much. A published average of $18,589 therefore describes very few families well; the bracket nearest your own income is the more useful figure.
Median reported earnings six years after entry are $53,873, roughly 2.9 times a year of net price. That is a workable ratio, though it says nothing about how long the programme takes to finish.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
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.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 292 similar institutions by enrollment size.
American River College
Sacramento, CA · 30,462 enrolled
Safety Score 0.13
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · 30,259 enrolled
Safety Score 7.63
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · 30,210 enrolled
Safety Score 7.38
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, FL · 30,728 enrolled
Safety Score 1.04
Bakersfield College
Bakersfield, CA · 30,746 enrolled
Safety Score 1.04
Closest by National Rank
Iowa State University (national rank #1356) sits near Bridgewater State University (#1355) and Madonna University (#1357) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for Iowa State University, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · 30,259 enrolled
Safety score 7.63
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD · 30,210 enrolled
Safety score 7.38
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, FL · 30,728 enrolled
Safety score 1.04
Bakersfield College
Bakersfield, CA · 30,746 enrolled
Safety score 1.04
NUC University
Bayamon, PR · 30,794 enrolled
Safety score 0.06
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · 30,851 enrolled
Safety score 3.01
The University of Texas at Dallas
Richardson, TX · 29,886 enrolled
Safety score 1.20
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS · 29,792 enrolled
Safety score 8.56
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA · 9,727 enrolled
Safety score 3.29
Madonna University
Livonia, MI · 2,124 enrolled
Safety score 3.30
Bryant University
Smithfield, RI · 3,636 enrolled
Safety score 3.30
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA · 10,262 enrolled
Safety score 3.31
Life University
Marietta, GA · 2,714 enrolled
Safety score 3.32
Meharry Medical College
Nashville, TN · 1,226 enrolled
Safety score 3.26
Oakwood University
Huntsville, AL · 1,226 enrolled
Safety score 3.26
Calvin University
Grand Rapids, MI · 3,681 enrolled
Safety score 3.26
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Iowa State University safe?
Iowa State University has a safety score of 3.29 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,356 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: American River College (0.13/1k). Same-state same-level set: University of Iowa (9.58/1k); University of Northern Iowa (6.14/1k); Drake University (3.68/1k); Upper Iowa University (1.27/1k); Maharishi International University (4.24/1k); Saint Ambrose University (6.81/1k); Waldorf University (8.54/1k); Palmer College of Chiropractic (2.31/1k).
What crimes are reported at Iowa State University?
For calendar year 2024, Iowa State University reported Motor Vehicle Theft (22), Rape (10), Burglary (9), Fondling (9) and Aggravated Assault (4), and 1 further category in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does Iowa State University compare to similar schools?
Iowa State University reports 4% fewer 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than American River College. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: American River College (0.13/1k); Harvard University (7.63/1k); Johns Hopkins University (7.38/1k); Broward College (1.04/1k); Bakersfield College (1.04/1k). Same-state same-level set: University of Iowa (9.58/1k); University of Northern Iowa (6.14/1k); Drake University (3.68/1k); Upper Iowa University (1.27/1k); Maharishi International University (4.24/1k); Saint Ambrose University (6.81/1k); Waldorf University (8.54/1k); Palmer College of Chiropractic (2.31/1k).
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.
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.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.