Iowa State University

Agriculture and engineering are the twin pillars of Iowa State’s curriculum, and the university is a magnet for preveterinary medicine students. Ames is a small city, and ISU must still endure barbs from certain snobby denizens of Iowa City. In truth, ISU is relatively cosmopolitan, with students hailing from more than 100 countries. While others retrench, ISU continues to innovate.

Love for Iowa State University runs as deep as its Midwestern roots. Strong programs in engineering, technology, agriculture, and animal science attract students from around the globe. The close-knit, small-town atmosphere fostered at this school of more than 24,000 full-time undergraduates keeps them here. At a time when many state universities are tightening the purse strings, Iowa State has expanded major research initiatives focused on areas like bioeconomics, food safety and security, human/computer interaction, and animal health.

The university has lavished attention on its parklike setting, located on a 1,984-acre tract in the middle of Ames, population 66,000. The campus, which boasts a combination of dignified old buildings and award-winning new ones, is a model of landscape design with numerous shady quadrangles with floral plantings and artwork that create a garden-like quality. History and tradition prevail, from the campanile, which serenades the campus with its carillon bells, to the huge public art collection, including murals by native Iowan Grant Wood and sculptures by Danish artist Christian Petersen. Much of the campus is closed to cars, largely for the benefit of walking and bicycling, as well as the swans and ducks that reside on Lake LaVerne. “The geese and the weather are the biggest menaces on campus,” jokes a senior. “It’s tough living in Iowa when the wind can blow you over or the snow will make your nose turn bright red, but it’s all worth it when Spring and Fall come around, and the campus is gorgeous.” The free-to-students CyRide bus system delivers students around campus and the city. Recent additions include an $84 million Student Innovation Center.

All undergraduates must take two semesters of foundational courses covering written, oral, visual, and electronic communication and demonstrate proficiency in English prior to graduation, in addition to taking a half-credit course on the use of the library and satisfying a three-credit requirement in diversity. Other general education requirements vary by college. When Iowa State opened its doors in 1869 as a land grant university, agriculture and engineering ruled the academic roost, and these colleges still field outstanding programs in animal science, agribusiness, agronomy, and agricultural engineering. These days, though, the liberal arts are nearly as popular, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the largest of ISU’s seven undergraduate colleges. Other colleges include business, design, veterinary medicine, and human sciences. Among the university’s 100-plus majors, mechanical engineering is the most popular, followed by marketing, kinesiology and health, and animal science. Programs in supply chain management; industrial, civil, aerospace, and software engineering; and elementary education are also strong.

Thirty-one percent of all undergraduate classes have fewer than 20 students, and students report that academic intensity varies by program. Despite the university’s size, professors teach most classes. “I have never had a professor or TA who has not been willing to take the time out of their busy day to help me with a problem,” says a kinesiology major. Academic and career counseling draw universal praise, too. Seventy percent of first-year students join one of over 80 highly touted learning communities, taking a common set of classes or living together on the same residence hall floor with other newcomers who share similar academic interests. The Honors Program enrolls about 1,400 outstanding students, who take special seminars, complete an independent honors research project or creative work, and have the option of living in honors housing. Just 5 percent of undergrads study overseas in programs offered in more than 50 countries. Fourteen percent take advantage of undergraduate research opportunities with faculty members.

Fifty-eight percent of ISU’s undergraduates are Iowans, though all 50 states and more than 100 countries are represented. The atmosphere on campus is inclusive and respectful, and “people tend to keep their political ideas to themselves,” according to an animal science major. International students make up 3 percent of the student body. Iowa State was the first co-ed land grant institution, but attracting students of color has proven more difficult: Hispanics/Latinos account for 7 percent, Asian Americans 4 percent, Black students 3 percent, and multiracial students 3 percent. “We have a lot of farmers and small-town Iowans,” says a senior. “This is a pretty white campus.” To improve diversity, ISU launched a $25 million campaign aimed at increasing the number of scholarships available for students of color, athletes, and student leaders. In addition to need-based financial aid and more than 400 athletic scholarships, thousands of merit awards, which average $5,200 annually, are available.

Thirty-one percent of students live in on-campus residence halls and apartments; most others find their own apartments near campus. Single-sex, co-ed, and suite-style dorms are available. “The dorms are sterile to begin with but students transform them into home with their own personal touch,” explains a junior. Students dine at 26 campus locations, including four main dining centers. Campus safety receives good ratings, and students say educational and training efforts, including the Green Dot initiative, have been effective in raising awareness about campus sexual assault and violence.

Iowa State is not simply located in Ames—in many respects it is Ames, but whether it qualifies as a college town depends on whom you ask. Des Moines, the state capital, is about 30 minutes away, and Iowa City, Minneapolis, and Chicago are other easy and enjoyable road trips. Socializing tends to stay on campus where, one student points out, “There is a bowling alley, a movie theater, and a special event called Iowa State after Dark, where they have a guest speaker and fun activities.” More than 800 student organizations cater to just about any interest. Fourteen percent of both the men and women go Greek. Students of legal age are allowed to have alcohol on campus, and students report that alcohol policies are well enforced. Across the street from campus, Campustown offers several bars as well as a variety of cafés and international restaurants. One long-held tradition is campaniling, where students kiss under the campanile at the stroke of midnight.

In sports, Cyclone basketball is king; the men’s and women’s teams are usual invitees to the NCAA Division I tournament. The men’s team has won the Big 12 title five times in the last decade. Football, wrestling, and men’s and women’s track and field and cross-country are also competitive. ISU’s football stadium bears the name of Jack Trice, ISU’s first Black athlete, who was fatally injured in a 1923 football game. “I literally cry almost every single game because you just feel like you are a part of something so large and amazing,” enthuses a sophomore. The Cyclones’ rivalry with the University of Iowa’s Hawkeyes is one of the strongest in the nation and “Beat Iowa” paraphernalia is ubiquitous. Thirty-six percent of students participate in nonvarsity sports; the intramural program, which is one of the largest in the country, offers around 50 sports—and if that’s not enough, students have their pick of 50 club sports too.

From its first class of 28 men and two women in 1869, Iowa State has taken to heart Abraham Lincoln’s land grant ideal: to open higher education to all, to teach practical courses, and to share that knowledge beyond the borders of the school. According to one junior, it’s this dynamic combination that draws “hardworking, kind students” from near and far.