Courses across Iowa State University are using free and low-cost course materials to support a high-quality and affordable education for our students.
The interactive dashboard linked below highlights the impact of Iowa State’s affordable course material initiatives by providing a snapshot of course material costs for the academic year.
For more information about the data used in the dashboard, visit the "About this Dashboard" tab on the PowerBI site or consult the FAQ below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was this dashboard created?
This dashboard was developed through an Initial Investment grant supported by the university's Strategic Plan. It was created to inform the Iowa State University community about the work being done across campus to lower the cost of course materials for students.
The dashboard can be used in several ways. For example, prospective students and their parents can use this dashboard to research the cost of a specific major or course. Similarly, departments and colleges may use this data to review how their courses compare to others across the university.
What does this dashboard include?
This dashboard provides a general overview of the cost of course materials across the university, with materials grouped by type (e.g. eBooks, print materials) and cost category (e.g. Zero cost, under $50, over $50). The purpose of this simplified data is to give a useful snapshot of the typical breakdown of course material costs across the university.
Why doesn’t this show the cost for this semester’s courses?
We update this data once per year; while we would like to have data available ahead of the registration deadline for next semester’s classes, not all teaching assignments or textbooks will be set in stone at that point. To ensure that we have as accurate data as possible, the dashboard includes the previous academic year's course materials data.
How do I check the cost for a specific course?
In the dashboard, you can filter to a specific course to see the student cost of the course from the previous term.
You can also check the current cost of a course by looking up your booklist on the ISU Book Store website. Here, students can see the retail cost of their digital and print materials for a specific course and section.
How is a course listed as both "OER" and "Low cost?" Aren't OER free?
Yes, open educational resources (OER) are free, but some courses use OER in conjunction with low-cost print materials. For example, some Biology Laboratory courses use print lab manuals in conjunction with free OER textbooks. Since the lab manuals have to be printed for use in lab, the section is technically not zero cost.
How does this data work alongside the Immediate Access ONE program?
Under the Immediate Access ONE program, students enrolled in undergraduate courses are all opted in to pay for and receive their required digital and print books for a set cost once per semester. On the first day of classes, students have access to their required digital course materials by logging into their Canvas account. Print books will be ready for pickup at the ISU Book Store.
While all students are charged the same cost for Immediate Access ONE each semester, this dashboard reflects the actual cost of course materials in each section of the university's courses. Depending on a student's major or course load, it may be preferable to opt out of Immediate Access ONE and purchase required course materials individually. This data provides a useful overview of the average cost of course materials across individual courses, sections, and majors.
Why does [this college] have a higher average cost than [that college]?
There are many reasons why the average cost of a single college or department’s materials may be higher or lower than another. For example, that college may be in a discipline that requires expensive courseware for homework or activities used in the class. Instructors across the university are working hard to keep the costs of their courses reasonable for students by leveraging low-cost, no-cost, and alternative course materials that meet their pedagogical goals. However, sometimes the best resources available happen to be $100 or more.
Are there any free/low-cost majors at Iowa State University?
At the moment, the only major at Iowa State University with zero textbook costs for students (i.e. Zero Textbook Cost degree programs) is the Nursing program's RN-to-BSN program. However, there are several departments and colleges making concerted efforts to lower the costs of course materials. You can see some of this work reflected in the costs by College/Department tabs on the dashboard.
Do you have a question that isn't answered above?
Reach out to the website administrator, Abbey Elder (aelder@iastate.edu) for additional information.