From animal science to aerospace and mechanical engineering, Iowa State University students share a broad range of interests.
More than 30,000 students attend ISU, and naturally, some fields are more popular than others. A number of new degrees are working their way up the ranks as well, including game design and healthcare management.
The Ames-based school has eight colleges that administer academic programs.
Here are some of the most popular undergraduate and graduate programs students are enrolled:
Engineering is Iowa State’s most popular area of study for undergrads
The College of Engineering had the most students enrolled for the 2025 fall semester with 7,418. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences came second behind with 5,231 students, and the Debby and Jerry Ivy College of Business third with 4,902.
The five most popular undergraduate majors are (based on enrollment):
Iowa State’s engineering college isn’t home to the most popular grad degree
The College of Engineering also has the highest number of graduate students with 1,210, followed closely by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with 1,037. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences came in third with 564 graduate students.
The five most popular graduate degrees are (based on enrollment):
Iowa State University’s newest and most unique majors
Several newer fields of study are gaining popularity at Iowa State. Game design and sports media and journalism were offered for the first time in fall 2025. Some of Iowa State’s other unique majors are listed below, along with their latest enrollment numbers:
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Find out what Iowa State University’s most popular majors are
Reporting by Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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