Iowa State University
Basic Information
Type
Public
Geographical Reach
Regional
Location
Ames, IA
Population
130,000
Website
http://www.iastate.edu/
Demographics
Total Undergraduates
25,033
Men / Women
55% / 45%
White
69%
Hispanic
7%
Asian
5%
International
4%
Black
3%
Mixed
3%
Native American
0%
From State
56%
From Region
38%
Academics
Undergraduate Degrees
Business & Economics
24%
Engineering
19%
Life & Natural Sciences
14%
Arts
8%
Computer Science
8%
Health Sciences
5%
Education
3%
Physical Sciences & Math
3%
Financial
In-State Tuition & Fees
$10,787
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$28,881
Est. In-State Cost
$13,954
Est. Out-of-State Cost
$37,360
10-Year ROI
$216,000
ROI Percentile
87th
Retention & Graduation
Full-Time Retention
88%
4-Year Graduation Rate
57%
6-Year Graduation Rate
75%
Transfer-Out Rate
19%
Weather
Comfortable Days
105 (50%)
Sunshine Hours
2,700 (67%)
Days Without Precipitation
260 (74%)
Admissions
Uses Common App
Yes
Acceptance Rate
85%
Yield (Unbound)
29%
Early Action
Nov 1
Regular Decision
Jan 1
Research
Research Level
R1
Expenditure
| Engineering, Computing & Math | $189M | #30 |
| Life & Natural Sciences | $222M | #79 |
| Humanities & Social Sciences | $13M | #111 |
Graduate Degrees
| Engineering, Computing & Math | 135 | #39 |
| Life & Natural Sciences | 263 | #103 |
| Humanities & Social Sciences | 71 | #210 |
Honors College
Name
University Honors Program
Students
1,400 (6%)
Standardized Tests
Test Scores
Test Policy
optional
Submitted Test Scores
59%
SAT Range
1160
–
1320
SAT Math Range
560
–
690
SAT RW Range
560
–
670
ACT Range
21
–
28
Earnings by Major Category
Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).
Schools & Majors
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Agriculture and Life Sciences | 946 | 40% / 60% | 2% | $59,899 | 97% | ||
| Agricultural Mechanization | 32 +7 | 88% / 12% | 0% | $73,127 | 82 | 98% | |
| Agronomy and Crop Science | 57 +15 | 53% / 47% | 4% | $53,958 | 45 | 99% | |
| Animal Science | 222 — | 17% / 83% | 0% | $55,971 | 51 | 98% | |
| Biochemistry | 18 +1 | 56% / 44% | 0% | $70,190 | 78 | 84% | |
| Bioinformatics | 4 +1 | 25% / 75% | 50% | $61,246 | 63 | — | |
| Biology | 173 +4 | 37% / 63% | 1% | $58,585 | 58 | 96% | |
| Dairy Science | 9 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $55,971 | 51 | 98% | |
| Food Science | 21 — | 24% / 76% | 14% | $63,741 | 68 | 92% | |
| Forest Sciences and Biology | 28 — | 57% / 43% | 0% | $45,342 | 20 | 91% | |
| Genetics | 36 — | 28% / 72% | 0% | $55,989 | 51 | 97% | |
| Horticulture | 43 +3 | 44% / 56% | 5% | $53,958 | 45 | 99% | |
| Microbiology | 31 — | 32% / 68% | 3% | $60,882 | 63 | 97% | |
| Agribusiness | 109 — | 55% / 45% | 2% | $68,687 | 76 | 97% | |
| Agricultural Education | 30 +5 | 27% / 73% | 0% | $54,845 | 48 | 97% | |
| Farm and Ranch Management | 103 — | 75% / 25% | 2% | $68,687 | 76 | 97% | |
| International Agriculture | 22 +29 | 18% / 82% | 0% | $51,601 | 38 | 92% | |
| Agricultural Communications | 8 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $62,868 | 67 | — |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Design | 351 | 40% / 60% | 4% | $61,087 | 97% | ||
| Architecture | 78 — | 58% / 42% | 8% | $83,996 | 90 | 96% | |
| Community and Regional Planning | 14 — | 57% / 43% | 7% | $61,658 | 64 | 100% | |
| Graphic Design | 85 — | 33% / 67% | 2% | $55,046 | 48 | 97% | |
| Industrial Design | 68 — | 63% / 37% | 1% | $55,046 | 48 | 97% | |
| Integrated Studio Arts | 35 — | 11% / 89% | 3% | $55,046 | 48 | 97% | |
| Interior Design | 57 — | 7% / 93% | 5% | $55,046 | 48 | 97% | |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 14 +2 | 57% / 43% | 0% | $38,615 | 8 | 100% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Engineering | 1,346 | 83% / 17% | 4% | $93,679 | 98% | ||
| Aerospace Engineering | 173 — | 89% / 11% | 3% | $92,551 | 95 | 97% | |
| Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | 35 — | 71% / 29% | 3% | $77,659 | 86 | 98% | |
| Chemical Engineering | 73 — | 60% / 40% | 3% | $96,097 | 96 | 97% | |
| Civil Engineering | 96 — | 77% / 23% | 7% | $86,261 | 92 | 96% | |
| Computer Engineering | 75 — | 91% / 9% | 4% | $111,313 | 99 | 97% | |
| Construction Engineering | 54 — | 85% / 15% | 0% | $95,401 | 96 | 98% | |
| Electrical Engineering | 98 — | 90% / 10% | 10% | $107,338 | 98 | 99% | |
| Environmental Engineering | 13 — | 85% / 15% | 0% | $80,170 | 88 | — | |
| Industrial Engineering | 76 — | 66% / 34% | 1% | $88,344 | 93 | 94% | |
| Materials Engineering | 30 — | 63% / 37% | 0% | $87,838 | 93 | 100% | |
| Mechanical Engineering | 369 — | 86% / 14% | 5% | $88,697 | 93 | 98% | |
| Cybersecurity | 42 — | 86% / 14% | 2% | $87,530 | 92 | — | |
| Software Engineering | 142 — | 82% / 18% | 6% | $111,313 | 99 | 97% | |
| Engineering Management | 70 +7 | 93% / 7% | 3% | $77,775 | 86 | 97% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Human Sciences | 752 | 20% / 80% | 1% | $54,645 | 94% | ||
| Dietetics | 40 — | 12% / 88% | 2% | $53,146 | 43 | 91% | |
| Nutritional Science | 21 — | 29% / 71% | 10% | $54,740 | 47 | 92% | |
| Athletic Training | 15 — | 53% / 47% | 7% | $53,846 | 45 | 100% | |
| Kinesiology | 234 +1 | 38% / 62% | 1% | $61,453 | 64 | 97% | |
| Nursing | 15 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $76,671 | 85 | — | |
| Event Management | 60 — | 5% / 95% | 0% | $52,830 | 42 | 97% | |
| Financial Counseling and Planning | 15 — | 67% / 33% | 0% | $61,094 | 63 | 100% | |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management | 6 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $60,201 | 61 | — | |
| Hospitality Management | 10 — | 20% / 80% | 0% | $52,830 | 42 | 97% | |
| Child Development | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $45,407 | 21 | 94% | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences | 14 — | 7% / 93% | 0% | $47,252 | 26 | 93% | |
| Human Development and Family Studies | 62 +3 | 2% / 98% | 2% | $45,407 | 21 | 94% | |
| Early Childhood Education | 14 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $49,890 | 33 | 90% | |
| Elementary Education | 157 — | 8% / 92% | 0% | $49,890 | 33 | 90% | |
| Apparel, Merchandising, and Design | 79 — | 14% / 86% | 0% | $50,823 | 36 | 93% | |
| Medical Illustration | 9 — | 11% / 89% | 0% | $48,503 | 29 | 94% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | 1,478 | 50% / 50% | 4% | $62,358 | 97% | ||
| Computational Science | 15 +3 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $88,657 | 93 | — | |
| Computer Science | 139 +2 | 88% / 12% | 18% | $108,762 | 98 | 100% | |
| Information Technology | 125 +9 | 84% / 16% | 3% | $81,602 | 89 | 100% | |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $51,730 | 39 | 100% | |
| Chemistry | 41 +3 | 51% / 49% | 7% | $65,156 | 71 | 93% | |
| Geosciences | 7 +1 | 29% / 71% | 0% | $54,750 | 48 | 100% | |
| Mathematics | 38 +12 | 55% / 45% | 3% | $75,294 | 84 | 93% | |
| Meteorology | 19 — | 68% / 32% | 0% | $51,730 | 39 | 100% | |
| Physics | 9 +3 | 89% / 11% | 0% | $72,509 | 81 | — | |
| Statistics | 33 +2 | 76% / 24% | 15% | $71,129 | 80 | 100% | |
| Ecology | 92 +3 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $45,407 | 21 | 100% | |
| Advertising | 42 +1 | 33% / 67% | 2% | $63,153 | 67 | 97% | |
| Economics | 15 +9 | 80% / 20% | 7% | $81,208 | 88 | 94% | |
| Anthropology | 16 +3 | 44% / 56% | 0% | $44,015 | 17 | 96% | |
| Communication Studies | 57 +9 | 28% / 72% | 0% | $55,664 | 50 | 96% | |
| Criminal Justice | 98 +15 | 47% / 53% | 1% | $59,943 | 61 | 100% | |
| English | 57 +1 | 21% / 79% | 0% | $41,391 | 12 | 95% | |
| Environmental Science and Policy | 66 +3 | 41% / 59% | 0% | $58,849 | 58 | 96% | |
| History | 61 +2 | 62% / 38% | 0% | $46,000 | 22 | 98% | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 2 +1 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $59,542 | 60 | 96% | |
| Journalism and Mass Communication | 36 +1 | 50% / 50% | 3% | $52,095 | 40 | 100% | |
| Linguistics | 19 — | 11% / 89% | 0% | $48,394 | 29 | 79% | |
| Philosophy | 8 +1 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $53,458 | 44 | — | |
| Political Science | 51 +13 | 65% / 35% | 0% | $61,481 | 64 | 91% | |
| Psychology | 204 +13 | 26% / 74% | 2% | $50,080 | 34 | 97% | |
| Public Administration | 8 +1 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $60,223 | 61 | — | |
| Public Relations | 45 +2 | 20% / 80% | 0% | $63,153 | 67 | 97% | |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 2 +7 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $51,073 | 37 | — | |
| Romance Languages | 13 +27 | 15% / 85% | 0% | $47,493 | 26 | 100% | |
| Sociology | 18 +13 | 56% / 44% | 6% | $57,753 | 56 | 94% | |
| Sustainability Studies | 28 — | 61% / 39% | 7% | $54,201 | 46 | — | |
| Technical Communication | 7 +4 | 43% / 57% | 0% | $68,280 | 76 | 100% | |
| University Studies | 76 — | 51% / 49% | 8% | $44,888 | 19 | 89% | |
| Women's and Gender Studies | 10 +3 | 10% / 90% | 0% | $51,987 | 39 | — | |
| Music | 8 +2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $44,730 | 19 | — | |
| Music Education | 12 — | 42% / 58% | 0% | $54,845 | 48 | 97% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivy College of Business | 924 | 66% / 34% | 3% | $73,643 | 98% | ||
| Accounting | 126 +8 | 60% / 40% | 2% | $73,400 | 82 | 98% | |
| Actuarial Science | 11 — | 73% / 27% | 0% | $73,057 | 82 | 99% | |
| Business Economics | 7 +1 | 100% / 0% | 14% | $91,511 | 94 | 100% | |
| Entrepreneurship | 32 +8 | 69% / 31% | 3% | $67,242 | 74 | 94% | |
| Finance | 215 +17 | 85% / 15% | 4% | $75,665 | 84 | 96% | |
| Human Resources Management | 18 — | 22% / 78% | 6% | $71,153 | 80 | — | |
| Management | 118 +26 | 60% / 40% | 1% | $78,149 | 86 | 100% | |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 43 +12 | 72% / 28% | 2% | $73,057 | 82 | 99% | |
| Marketing | 245 +25 | 54% / 46% | 2% | $68,459 | 76 | 98% | |
| Supply Chain Management | 109 +7 | 74% / 26% | 2% | $78,149 | 86 | 100% |
Rankings
Engineering
It Actually IS Rocket Science
Aerospace Engineering
CubeSat Crew
Farming with Numbers
Biological & Agricultural Engineering
The Green Giants
It's Not About Molecules, It's About Pipes
Chemical Engineering
High-Vis Vests & Factory Floor Grunts
Playing House
Civil Engineering
The Deep Bench
Resistance Is Not Futile
Electrical Engineering
Short Circuit Survivors
Hugging Trees with Calculus
Environmental Engineering
Carbon Crushers
Is It a Solid? Is It a Liquid? Yes.
Materials Engineering
Solid State
WD-40 & Duct Tape
Mechanical Engineering & Robotics
Rust Belt Royalty & Co-op Cults
We Glow In The Dark
Nuclear Engineering
Fission Faithful
Computer Science
Hoodie Not Included
Cybersecurity
Capture-the-Flag Club President
Physical Sciences & Math
Breaking Bad
Chemistry
Agri-Chem & Geo
Rocks and Whales
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
The Strata
The "I Understand Interstellar" Elite
Physics & Astronomy
Our Labs Have Labs (The Experimentalists)
No Words Allowed
Pure Mathematics
Sigma Grindset
Life & Natural Sciences
Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room
Biology
Mitosis Mode
Photosynthesis Fan Club
Ecology & Plant Biology
Greenhouse Gang
Doomsday Prepping with Data
Environmental Science
Carbon Neutral
Better Eating Through Chemistry
Food Science & Nutrition
Lab Coat Foodies
Memorizing 206 Bones
Human Biology
Lab Partners
Farmers, Cowboys, and Tree Huggers
Plant & Agricultural Systems
The Land Grants
Puppies Over People
Zoology & Veterinary Sciences
Aggies with Stethoscopes (Veterinary Sciences)
Health Sciences
Talk About a Career
Phonoaudiology
Articulation Crew
Business & Economics
Show Me the Bushels
Agribusiness & Economics
Wall Street of Wheat
PowerPoint Presentation Power Rankings
Business Administration
Regional Boardroom Rulers
Pivot Tables & Missing Pallets
Business Analytics
Supply Chain Bottlenecks
It's Basic Supply and Demand, Bro
Economics
The Aggie-Econ & Applied Regressions Guild
Office Politics 101
Human Resources
People Operations
Humanities & Social Sciences
Saving the Planet, One Policy at a Time
Environmental Policy & Sustainability
Compost Curriculum
I Want To Understand Myself
Psychology
Corporate Compliance Consultants
Grammar Police Academy
World Languages & Linguistics
Grammar Nerds
Education
No Johnny, Don't Eat Your Buggers
Early Education
Story Time Pros
Surviving PTA Karens
General Education
Chalkboard Champions
History Repeats Itself
Social Sciences Education
Document-Based Question Crew
Everyone Gets a Medal
Special Education
Differentiated Instruction
Gym Class Heroes and Art Teachers
Specific Subjects Education
Coaches and Conductors
Show Your Work, Then Teach It
STEM Education
Equation Educators
Professional
The Hard Hat Caste
Construction
Subs and Specs