About Us

Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. 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, making Iowa the first state in the nation to do so.On July 4, 1959, the college was officially renamed Iowa State University of Science and Technology.

Iowa State is the second largest university in the State of Iowa by total enrollment. The university's academic offerings are administered through eight colleges, including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Engineering, the Graduate College, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the College of Design, Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business, and the College of Human Sciences. They offer over 100 bachelor's degree programs, 120 master's degree programs, and 80 doctoral degree programs, plus a professional degree program in Veterinary Medicine.

Iowa State is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity."The university is affiliated with the Ames National Laboratory, the Biorenewables Research Laboratory, the Plant Sciences Institute, and various other research institutes. Iowa State University's athletic teams, the Cyclones, compete in Division I of the NCAA and are a founding member of the Big 12.