Iowa State University
Academics
How strong are the academics at Iowa State University?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
18:1
Student to faculty ratio
37
Average class size
57%
4-year grad rate
Class Sizes
Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.
Iowa State has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 18:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Class Sizes
Most Common
20-29
2-9
304
10-19
782
20-29
828
30-39
330
40-49
246
50-99
520
100+
249
Honors Programs
Iowa State University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.
Learn more about honors options on Iowa State's website.
Outcomes
It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Iowa State University:
88%
First-year retention rate
57%
4-year grad rate
75%
6-year grad rate
The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $49,724. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.
$49,724
$48,300 (National Average)
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Iowa State University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Mechanical Engineering
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Exercise Science and Kinesiology
Animal Sciences, General
Finance, General
184.2
221.16
258.12
295.08
332.04
369
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
- Animal Sciences, General 222
- Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations 109
- Farm/Farm and Ranch Management 103
- Agronomy and Crop Science 57
- Horticultural Science 43
- Agricultural Mechanization, General 32
- International Agriculture 29
- International Agriculture 22
- Food Science 21
- Agronomy and Crop Science 15
- Dairy Science 9
- Agricultural Communication/Journalism 8
- Agricultural Mechanization, General 7
- Horticultural Science 3
Architecture And Related Services
- Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology 78
- City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning 14
- Architecture 0
Area
- Area Studies, Other 11
- Women's Studies 10
- Women's Studies 3
- Area Studies, Other 0
- Russian Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 173
- Ecology 92
- Genetics, General 36
- Microbiology, General 31
- Biochemistry 18
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 4
- Bioinformatics 4
- Ecology 3
- Biochemistry 1
- Bioinformatics 1
- Entomology 0
- Biophysics 0
Business
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 245
- Finance, General 215
- Accounting 126
- Business Administration and Management, General 118
- Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management 109
- Meeting and Event Planning 60
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 43
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 32
- Business Administration and Management, General 26
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 25
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 18
- Finance, General 17
- International Business/Trade/Commerce 14
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 12
- Actuarial Science 11
- Hospitality Administration/Management, General 10
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 8
- Accounting 8
- Business/Managerial Economics 7
- Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management 7
- Business/Managerial Economics 1
- International Business/Trade/Commerce 0
- Operations Management and Supervision 0
- Management Science 0
- Management Information Systems, General 0
Communication
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 57
- Public Relations/Image Management 45
- Advertising 42
- Journalism 36
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 9
- Public Relations/Image Management 2
- Advertising 1
- Journalism 1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 139
- Information Technology 125
- Information Technology 9
- Computer Science 2
Education
- Elementary Education and Teaching 157
- Education, General 43
- Agricultural Teacher Education 30
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching 14
- Music Teacher Education 12
- Agricultural Teacher Education 5
- Education, General 0
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering 369
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 173
- Computer Software Engineering 142
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 98
- Civil Engineering, General 96
- Industrial Engineering 76
- Computer Engineering, General 75
- Chemical Engineering 73
- Construction Engineering 54
- Agricultural Engineering 35
- Materials Engineering 30
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 13
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- Engineering/Industrial Management 70
- Engineering/Industrial Management 7
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 57
- Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing 7
- Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing 4
- English Language and Literature, General 1
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Apparel and Textiles, General 79
- Human Development and Family Studies, General 62
- Family Resource Management Studies, General 15
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General 14
- Human Development and Family Studies, General 3
- Child Development 1
- Family and Community Services 0
Foreign Languages
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 27
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 27
- Linguistics 19
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 13
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 13
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
- German Language and Literature 0
- Spanish Language and Literature 0
- French Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Dietetics/Dietitian 40
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 15
- Athletic Training/Trainer 15
- Medical Illustration/Medical Illustrator 9
- Health/Health Care Administration/Management 6
History
- History, General 61
- History, General 2
Homeland Security
- Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 98
- Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 15
Liberal Arts And Sciences
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 76
Mathematics And Statistics
- Mathematics, General 38
- Statistics, General 33
- Mathematics, General 12
- Statistics, General 2
Military Technologies And Applied Sciences
- Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare 42
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Sustainability Studies 28
- Nutrition Sciences 21
- Computational Science 15
- Computational Science 3
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 2
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 1
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Science 66
- Forest Sciences and Biology 28
- Environmental Studies 11
- Environmental Science 3
- Environmental Studies 0
Parks
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 234
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 8
- Religion/Religious Studies 7
- Religion/Religious Studies 2
- Philosophy 1
Physical Sciences
- Chemistry, General 41
- Meteorology 19
- Physics, General 9
- Geology/Earth Science, General 7
- Physics, General 3
- Chemistry, General 3
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General 1
- Geology/Earth Science, General 1
Psychology
- Psychology, General 204
- Psychology, General 13
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Public Administration 8
- Public Administration 1
Social Sciences
- Political Science and Government, General 51
- Sociology, General 18
- Anthropology, General 16
- Economics, General 15
- Sociology, General 13
- Political Science and Government, General 13
- Economics, General 9
- Anthropology, General 3
Visual And Performing Arts
- Graphic Design 85
- Industrial and Product Design 68
- Interior Design 57
- Design and Visual Communications, General 35
- Visual and Performing Arts, General 14
- Music, General 8
- Music, General 2
- Visual and Performing Arts, General 2
- Fashion/Apparel Design 0
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