Iowa State University
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Iowa State University

(ISU)

🇺🇸 United States / Iowa / Ames
Public AAU Land Grant R1 Est. 1858

About

Iowa State University of Science and Technology is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the nation's first designated land-grant institutions when the Iowa Legislature accepted the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act on September 11, 1862. On July 4, 1959, the college was offic...

Iowa State University of Science and Technology is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the nation's first designated land-grant institutions when the Iowa Legislature accepted the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act on September 11, 1862. On July 4, 1959, the college was officially renamed Iowa State University of Science and Technology.

Ranking Overview

Ranking Snapshot

Ranked Top 400 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems

US News #400 (2027)
THE #401–500 (2026)

Ranked in 82 subject rankings

QS QS World University Rankings
# =540
91
30.5
2027
THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings
# 401–500
46.2
2026
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
# 401-500
2026
US News U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
# =400
20
52.4
2027

Key Facts

Students
27,116
Student-Staff Ratio
17.2 : 1
Int'l Students
8%
Female : Male
46 : 54
Staff
6,753

Historical Trend

Longitudinal View
QS QS
THE THE
ARWU ARWU
US News US News
1 101 201 301 401 501 600 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Rank
:
Score:

Top Subjects

Best-performing areas
7
Agriculture & Forestry
Top 10
10
Veterinary Science
Top 10
45
Agricultural Sciences
Top 50
45
Law & Legal Studies
Top 50
51-75
Aerospace Engineering
Top 100
51-75
Agricultural Sciences
Top 100
51-75
Statistics & Operational Research
Top 100
51-75
Communication & Media Studies
Top 100
51-75
Hospitality & Tourism Management
Top 100
=53
Plant and Animal Science
Top 100
101-150
Ecology
Top 200
101-150
Remote Sensing
Top 200
101-150
Metallurgical Engineering
Top 200
101-150
Sociology
Top 200
101-150

Subject Rankings

Detailed breakdown

QS

31 subjects

ARWU

41 subjects

US News

26 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Agricultural Sciences 45 62.4 2027
Plant and Animal Science =53 70.4 2027
Microbiology =139 30.2 2027
Food Science and Technology 174 32.7 2027
Civil Engineering 200 24.9 2027
Ecology =218 39.2 2027
Condensed Matter Physics =222 33.3 2026
Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology =228 26.9 2027
Arts and Humanities 247 37.9 2026
Molecular Biology and Genetics =251 34.4 2027
Materials Science =266 44.0 2027
Environment/Ecology =272 48.5 2027
Physics & Astronomy =292 49.6 2027
Mathematics =319 39.4 2027
Engineering =328 49.5 2027
Economics & Econometrics =339 29.7 2027
Geosciences =342 31.1 2027
Psychiatry/Psychology =366 32.2 2027
Physical Chemistry =414 45.1 2027
Energy and Fuels 419 35.7 2027
Social Sciences and Public Health =431 39.9 2027
Chemistry =449 46.5 2027
Electrical and Electronic Engineering 485 36.1 2027
Computer Science =518 30.4 2027
Biology and Biochemistry =619 22.7 2027
Clinical Medicine =1,145 23.6 2027

THE

9 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Computer Science 201–250 47.1 2026
Education & Training 201–250 43.1 2026
Psychology 201–250 45.3 2026
Life Sciences 251–300 47.1 2026
Engineering & Technology 301–400 41.5 2026
Physical Sciences 301–400 43.0 2026
Social Sciences 301–400 37.8 2026
Business & Economics 301–400 39.5 2026
Arts & Humanities 401–500 27.4 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ranking of Iowa State University?

Iowa State University's performance in the latest university rankings: QS Rank =540, THE Rank 401–500, ARWU Rank 401-500, US News Rank =400.

When was Iowa State University founded?

Iowa State University was founded in 1858.

What are the top subjects at Iowa State University?

Top subjects at Iowa State University include: Agriculture & Forestry, Veterinary Science, Agricultural Sciences, Law & Legal Studies, Aerospace Engineering.

Where is Iowa State University located?

Iowa State University is located in Ames, United States.