An Education That Delivers

Graduates celebrate with streamers at the conclusion of the commencement ceremony.

Invest in your future

Armed with the fruits of more than 100 majors, minors and certificates, Iowa State graduates are making an impact in the world. And the return on investment for all the hard work and energy you invest during your time at Iowa State is significant. It’s what makes Cyclones loyal and forever true.

“At a time when many Americans are questioning the value of a college degree ... four-year state universities are a bargain compared with their private counterparts and still often provide a path to financial security.”

Wall Street Journal (May 26, 2024)

Iowa State’s Return on Investment Ranks Among Highest in Nation

Iowa State University and Iowa’s other public institutions rank No. 3 among all 50 state public university systems nationwide for highest student return on investment. The report specifically made note of Iowa State University for programs that included mechanical engineering (median lifetime ROI of $925,000), general business, agricultural business, computer engineering, finance, marketing and electrical engineering. The ranking compared tuition and other financial factors to the increase in lifetime income that graduates earn from their degrees.

WSJ/College Pulse: Iowa State among top in nation for student outcomes

Iowa State is ranked No. 1 in Iowa and in the top 25% nationally in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings. Seventy percent of the rankings are based on student outcomes, which measure the higher salaries of ISU graduates and university efforts to ensure graduation. The new ranking places Iowa State No. 4 among its national peers (as defined by the Iowa Board of Regents) and No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference.

Money’s Best Colleges: ISU in Top 10% for Affordability

Iowa State University received 4.5 stars in the 5-star ranking system in Money’s Best Colleges 2024. The majority of schools landed in the 3.5- to 4-star category. Also, Iowa State was in the top 10% for affordability in Money’s 2024-2025 rating system. Salaries of ISU graduates were among the factors analyzed by Money, along with graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, and more.

ISU’s Career Outcomes Help Make Best Value Colleges List

Career outcomes was a key factor for Iowa State making Princeton Review’s list of 2024 Best Value Colleges. Besides career outcomes, the list takes into account academic rigor and affordability. Iowa State also ranks No. 12 on the review’s list of Top 20 Best Schools for Financial Aid — Public Schools.

Iowa State Grads Outperform the Average

Iowa State University graduates, on average, earn $74,704 10 years after earning their degrees, according to Iowa Board of Regents wages and outcome data. (After five years, the average earnings were $58,695.) Above-average numbers if you look across the nation. According to the Wall Street Journal, research found that graduates from public universities need to earn at least $50,000 a year, on average, in their first decade after college for their degrees to pay off (“The Colleges Where You’re Most Likely to Have a Positive Return on Your Investment,” May 26, 2024).

Study: Future Earnings for ISU Grads Net Positive Return

In a 2022 study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, graduates of Iowa State University earned $155,000 annually a decade after earning their degrees — a number expressed as the net present value; in other words, how much a sum of money in the future is valued today. The earnings-price return for ISU alums was 270% — a ratio expressing the degree to which earnings 10 years after enrollment are above or below the net price, in percent — sometimes used to measure return. Also, 84% of ISU graduates were earning more than peer high-school graduates.

ISU Alumni Earnings Exceed Midpoint for 4-Year Schools

Ten years after entering Iowa State University, the median annual earnings of former students who received federal financial aid was $63,386, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. That exceeds the midpoint of $53,747 for graduates from all four-year schools. 

Alums Value Their ISU Experience

  • Informal portrait of Jeff Sander.

    Jeffry Sander

    Research scientist, Corteva Agriscience 
    (’04 computer science, ’08 Ph.D. bioinformatics and computational biology)

    “Iowa State has been my gateway to the rest of the world. Iowa State gave me a chance to fly.”

    Learn more about Jeffry Sander
  • Informal portrait of Nick Schiefelbein.

    Nick Shiefelbein

    Product review engineer, Space Launch System at Boeing
    (’22 MBA, mechanical engineering)

    “I maximized my grades, made the most of my internship experiences, elected when to have fun versus when to work hard, and ultimately endured to live my passion.”

    Learn more about Nick Shiefelbein
  • Informal portrait of Morgan Ambourn.

    Morgan Ambourn

    Microsoft software engineer
    (BS ‘21, MS ‘22 CprE)

    “After graduating and moving on to work with many brilliant engineers from all over the world, I have learned ... that it is important to be kind to yourself as you progress in your career. Iowa State gave me the opportunity to learn how to have balance in my life.”

    Learn more about Morgan Ambourn
  • Informal portrait of Shawn Johnson.

    Dr. Shawn Johnson

    Chief operating officer and director of innovative medicine, Sea Change Health
    (DVM, ’96)

    “No one told me this was a bad idea [to become a marine mammal veterinarian] ... My [ISU] professors were not only intrigued by my career goals, they were also very supportive of what I wanted to do.” 

    Learn more about Dr. Shawn Johnson
  • Informal portrait of Anne Shimerdla with a giaraffe.

    Anne Shimerdla

    President and CEO, Blank Park Zoo 
    (BS, animal ecology, ’98)

    “Iowa State shaped my career path by providing opportunities to explore. ISU expanded my vision of the world, encouraged me to persevere when things were tough, and taught me to work hard but play hard, too.” 

    Learn more about Anne Shimerdla
  • Informal portrait of Kate Henderson.

    Kate Henderson

    Regional market president, Urology Austin 
    (’97 biology)

    “[At ISU] I started to see how my interests and talents could fit into a health-related field, and how I could be part of a health care team with my planning, communications and people management skill set.”

    Learn more about Kate Henderson

Get ahead with an exceptional education

Work on your degree, then let your degree work for you.