Students planning to attend a Regent University must calculate their index scores, which is a requirement for admission.

"Iowa high school graduates must achieve a Regent Admission Index (RAI) score of at least 245 and take the minimum number of required high school courses to qualify for automatic admission as freshmen to Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa. Students who achieve a score less than 245 will be considered for admission on an individual basis.

The RAI combines factors that strongly predict success at the Regent Universities: ACT or SAT test score, high school rank, high school cumulative grade-point average, and the number of completed high school core courses." The formula can be seen below: