About Iowa State
Iowa State University is a public, land-grant university, where students get a great academic start in learning communities and stay active in 800-plus student organizations, undergrad research, internships and study abroad. They learn from world-class scholars who are tackling some of the world's biggest challenges -- feeding the hungry, finding alternative fuels and advancing manufacturing.
Facts, stats
Arts, entertainment
Scenery, webcams
Visitors
City of Ames
At a glance
Location
Ames, Iowa
Founded
1858 (first class: 1869)
Enrollment
30,708 (Fall 2021)
Academics
10 schools and colleges
100 majors
President
Wendy Wintersteen
Mission
Create, share and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place.
Athletics
Cyclones
Big 12 Conference
Famous Alumni
George Washington Carver, Carrie Chapman Catt, John Vincent Atanasoff
What's a Land-grant?
Abraham Lincoln signed the law that gave birth to the land-grant universities -- "people's colleges," which were founded on three big ideas:
- Open higher education to all
- Teach practical classes
- Share knowledge far beyond campus