Iowa State University

10 Interesting Facts about Iowa State University (ISU)

1. Iowa State University (ISU) is a public research university located in Ames, Iowa.
2. ISU was founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, making it one of the first land-grant universities in the United States.
3. The university is known for its strong programs in agriculture, engineering, and the sciences, and it is home to several world-renowned research centers.
4. ISU is the birthplace of the first electronic digital computer, which was built by John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry in the late 1930s.
5. The university is also known for its Cyclone mascot and its strong athletics programs, particularly in football and basketball.
6. ISU has a long-standing tradition of student involvement in research and creative activities, with opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research projects and scholarly work.
7. The university has a large and diverse student body, with more than 36,000 students from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries.
8. ISU is committed to sustainability and is recognized as a leader in campus sustainability practices, with initiatives focused on reducing waste, conserving energy, and promoting environmental stewardship.
9. The university has a long-standing tradition of excellence in football and basketball, with several conference championships and appearances in bowl games and NCAA tournaments.
10. Notable alumni of ISU include George Washington Carver, the renowned scientist and inventor; Carrie Chapman Catt, the women’s suffrage leader; and Tom Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa and current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

Admissions

Tuition & Fee

Year	2022-2023 Resident	2022-2023 Non-Resident	2022-2023
Total University Expenses	$20,582	$37,066	$38,834
Tuition & Fees	$10,133	$26,617	$28,385
Food & Housing	$9,358	$9,358	$9,358
Anticipated Personal Expenses	$2,890	$2,890	$5,430
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment	$1,091	$1,091	$1,091
Total Expected Cost of Attendance	$23,472	$39,956	$44,264

All Programs

A
Accounting
Major, Minor

Actuarial Science
Major, Certificate

Advertising
Major, Minor

Aerospace Engineering
Major

African and African American Studies
Minor

Agricultural and Life Sciences Education
Major, Minor

Agricultural and Rural Policy Studies
Major

Agricultural Business
Major, Minor

Agricultural Engineering
Major

Agricultural Studies
Major

Agricultural Systems Technology
Major, Minor

Agronomy
Major, Minor

American Indian Studies
Minor

Animal Ecology
Major, Minor

Animal Science
Major, Minor

Anthropology
Major, Minor

Apparel, Merchandising and Design
Major, Minor

Architecture
Major

Art and Design
Major

Astronomy
Minor

Athletic Training
Major

B
Beef Cattle Production Management
Certificate

Beverage Management
Minor

Biochemistry
Major, Minor

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Major, Minor

Biological Systems Engineering
Major

Biological/Pre-Medical Illustration
Major, Minor

Biology
Major, Minor

Biomedical Engineering
Minor

Biophysics
Major

Business Administration
Major

Business Analytics
Major, Minor

Business and Technology Consulting
Minor

Business Economics
Major

C
Chemical Engineering
Major

Chemistry
Major, Minor

Chinese Studies
Minor

Civil Engineering
Major

Classical Studies
Major, Minor

Climate Science
Major, Minor

Communication Studies
Major, Minor

Community and Regional Planning
Major

Computer Engineering
Major

Computer Science
Major, Minor

Computing Applications
Certificate

Construction Engineering
Major

Criminal Justice
Major, Minor

Critical Studies in Design
Minor

Culinary Food Science
Major, Minor

Cyber Security Engineering
Major, Minor

Cyber-Physical Systems
Minor

D
Dairy Science
Major

Dance
Minor

Data Science
Major, Minor, Certificate

Design Studies
Minor

Diet and Exercise
Major

Dietetics
Major

Digital Media
Minor

E
Early Childcare Education and Programming
Major

Early Childhood Education
Major

Earth Science
Major

Economics
Major, Minor

Education Services in Family and Consumer Sciences
Minor

Electrical Engineering
Major

Elementary Education
Major

Energy Systems
Minor

Engineering Sales
Minor

English
Major, Minor

Entrepreneurial Studies
Minor

Entrepreneurship
Major, Minor

Environmental Engineering
Major

Environmental Science
Major

Environmental Studies
Major, Minor

Equine Science and Management
Certificate

Ethics
Minor

Event Management
Major, Minor

Exercise Science
Minor

F
Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies
Major

Fashion, Culture, History, and Social Justice
Minor

Feed Technology
Minor

Finance
Major, Minor

Financial Counseling and Planning
Major, Minor

Food and Society
Minor

Food Safety
Minor

Food Science
Major, Minor

Forestry
Major, Minor

French
Major, Minor

G
General Business
Minor

Genetics
Major, Minor

Geographic Information Science
Minor

Geology
Major, Minor

German
Major, Minor

Gerontology
Minor

Global Health
Minor

Global Resource Systems
Major

Graphic Design
Major

H
Health Coach
Certificate

Health Promotion
Minor

Healthcare Management
Major

History
Major, Minor

Horticulture
Major, Minor

Hospitality Management
Major, Minor

Human Development and Family Studies
Major, Minor

Human Resource Management
Major

I
Illustration
Minor

Industrial Design
Major

Industrial Engineering
Major

Industrial Technology
Major, Minor

Insect Science
Minor

Integrated Studio Arts
Major, Certificate

Interdisciplinary Design
Major

Interior Design
Major

International Agriculture
Major, Minor

International Business
Major, Minor

International Studies
Major, Minor

J
Journalism and Mass Communication
Major, Minor

K
K-12 and Secondary Education
Major

K-12/Secondary Education
Major

Kinesiology
Minor

Kinesiology and Health
Major, Minor

L
Landscape Architecture
Major

Landscape Management
Minor

Languages and Cultures for Professions
Major, Minor

Latin American Studies
Certificate

Leadership Studies
Minor, Certificate

Learning and Leadership Sciences
Minor

Learning Technologies
Minor

Liberal Studies
Major

Linguistics
Major, Minor

M
Management
Major, Minor

Management Information Systems
Major, Minor

Marketing
Major, Minor

Materials Engineering
Major

Mathematics
Major, Minor

Meat Science
Minor

Mechanical Engineering
Major

Merchandising
Certificate

Meteorology
Major, Minor

Microbiology
Major, Minor

Middle Eastern Studies
Minor

Military Studies
Minor

Music
Major, Minor

Music Technology
Minor

N
Nondestructive Evaluation
Minor

Nursing
Major

Nutrition
Minor

Nutritional Science
Major

O
Occupational Safety
Certificate

Open option
Major

P
Performing Arts
Major, Minor

Pharmacology and Toxicology
Minor

Philosophy
Major, Minor

Physics
Major, Minor

Political Science
Major, Minor

Poultry Production Management
Certificate

Preservation and Cultural Heritage
Minor

Professional Sales
Certificate

Psychology
Major, Minor

Public Relations
Major, Minor

R
Religious Studies
Major, Minor

Russian Studies
Minor

S
Science Communication
Certificate

Seed Science
Major

Sociology
Major, Minor

Software Engineering
Major

Soil Science
Certificate

Spanish
Major, Minor

Speech Communication
Major, Minor

Statistics
Major, Minor

Supply Chain Management
Major, Minor

Sustainability
Minor

Swine Production Management
Certificate

T
Teaching English as a Second Language
Minor

Technical Communication
Major, Minor

Textile Design
Minor

Textile Science and Product Performance
Minor

Theatre
Major, Minor

U
U.S. Latino/a Studies
Major, Minor

Urban Studies
Minor

W
Women’s and Gender Studies
Major, Minor

World Film Studies
Minor

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
24,461 Undergrads

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Part-Time Undergrads
1,347

Rankings

As of 2023, Iowa State University is ranked #219 in the United States and #401 – 500th in the world.

(source)

Weather

Ames, Iowa experiences long, warm, humid, and wet summers; freezing, snowy, and windy winters; and partly cloudy weather year round. The temperature in Ames can range from -10 °C to 29 °C and rarely reaches below -21 °C or above 34 °C.”