Admissions requirements for military and veteran applicants

All military and veteran applicants must submit an application for admission and meet the criteria for either first-year or transfer students.

You should apply as a first-year student if you are currently in high school or if you have not completed any college courses prior to attending Iowa State.

If you have taken courses at a regionally accredited college or university after high school graduation, you should apply as a transfer student. However, if you have earned fewer than 24 academic credits, you will also need to meet the admission requirements for students entering directly from high school.

If you were previously enrolled as a degree-seeking undergraduate at Iowa State and plan to return after an absence of 12 months or more, you’ll need to apply as a reentering student.

If you are currently serving or have served in the military, you will need to provide military transcripts. Applicants from branches other than the Air Force must submit a Joint Services Transcript (JST), while Air Force personnel will need a Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript.

Additional documents depend on the number of academic credits* you’ve completed at a regionally accredited college or university:

  • With 24 or more graded, academic semester credits (36 quarter credits*):
    Submit your military transcript (JST or CCAF) and transcripts from all colleges attended. A cumulative transfer GPA of 2.00 in academic courses* is required.
  • With fewer than 24 graded, academic semester credits (36 quarter credits*):
    Submit your high school transcript, ACT or SAT scores, military transcript (JST or CCAF), and any applicable college transcripts.

Each application will be reviewed individually.

*Note: Career technical, developmental/remedial, and military credits are not counted as academic credit.

Military transcripts will be assessed for transfer credit based on the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations outlined in the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Credits awarded under ACE guidelines fall into the category of prior learning credits. Iowa State allows a maximum of 60 prior learning credits toward an undergraduate degree, with no more than 32 credits from exams.

Credit will be awarded for the following categories:

  • Vocational certificate
  • Lower-division baccalaureate degree
  • Upper-division baccalaureate degree

Your academic department will determine how military credits apply toward your degree at Iowa State.

  • Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): MOS courses are not eligible for transfer credit.
  • Career and technical training: Up to 16 credits, including those from military vocational certificates and career-technical credit from regionally accredited colleges, may be awarded.
  • Community College of the Air Force: A maximum of 16 career-technical credits is allowed.
  • College-Level Examination Program (CLEP): Selected exams may qualify for credit. See our Credit by Exam page for more details.
  • DANTES Standardized Subject Tests (DSST): DSST exams do not qualify for credit.