In fall 2023, Iowa State University enrolled 36,660 students, including 26,165 undergraduates, yet the campus stretches across 1,796 acres and supports 100 majors across 10 colleges. Research also moves at a different pace, reaching $321 million in FY2023 with $200 million federally funded. That mix of scale, athletics, and discovery is exactly what the ISU statistics in this post help you put side by side.
Key Takeaways
- ISU offers 100 undergraduate majors across 10 colleges in 2023.
- ISU bachelor's degrees conferred in 2022-2023: 5,800.
- ISU master's degrees awarded in 2022-2023: 1,200.
- ISU men's basketball team won 26 games in 2022-2023 season.
- ISU women's basketball averaged 12,500 fans per home game in 2023.
- ISU football stadium capacity: 61,500 at Jack Trice Stadium.
- ISU total campus area: 1,796 acres in Ames, Iowa.
- ISU residence halls: 28 buildings housing 10,000 students.
- ISU dining centers: 5 locations serving 20,000 meals daily.
- Iowa State University (ISU) total enrollment in fall 2023 was 36,660 students including 26,165 undergraduates and 10,495 graduates.
- ISU undergraduate enrollment breakdown shows 52% from Iowa, 30% from other US states, and 18% international students in 2023.
- ISU student gender distribution is 53% male and 47% female as of fall 2023.
- ISU research expenditures totaled $321 million in fiscal year 2023.
- ISU federally funded research: $200 million or 62% of total in FY2023.
- ISU top research areas: Plant Sciences ($50M), Engineering ($80M), Agriculture ($60M) in 2023.
Iowa State in 2023 served 36,660 students, awarded 5,800 bachelor’s degrees, and invested $321 million in research.
Related reading
01 · Category
Academics19 stats
01
ISU offers 100 undergraduate majors across 10 colleges in 2023.
02
ISU bachelor's degrees conferred in 2022-2023: 5,800.
03
ISU master's degrees awarded in 2022-2023: 1,200.
04
ISU doctoral degrees awarded in 2022-2023: 450.
05
ISU most popular undergraduate major: Mechanical Engineering with 800 graduates in 2023.
06
ISU top graduate programs ranked #30 Engineering, #52 Business by US News 2024.
07
ISU freshman retention rate in academic programs: 89% in 2023.
08
ISU average class size for undergraduate courses: 35 students in 2023.
09
ISU online undergraduate programs offered: 20 certificates and degrees in 2023.
10
ISU study abroad participation: 1,500 students annually pre-2023.
11
ISU honors program enrollment: 1,200 students in 2023.
12
ISU undergraduate research participants: 4,000 annually in 2023.
13
ISU co-op/internship placements: 2,500 students per year in 2023.
14
ISU library holdings: 2.5 million volumes, 100,000 e-journals in 2023.
15
ISU academic calendar: Semester system with fall start mid-August.
16
ISU credit hours attempted by undergraduates annually: over 500,000 in 2023.
17
ISU pass rate on professional licensure exams in engineering: 85% in 2023.
18
ISU alumni with advanced degrees: 40% hold master's or higher.
19
ISU faculty publications per year: 4,000 peer-reviewed articles in 2022.
Interpretation
Academics Interpretation
For the Academics snapshot, ISU shows a broad pipeline and strong engineering pull, with 100 undergraduate majors across 10 colleges and Mechanical Engineering leading enrollment in 2023 with 800 graduates, while graduate growth remains solid at 1,200 master’s and 450 doctoral degrees in 2022 to 2023.
02 · Category
Athletics18 stats
01
ISU men's basketball team won 26 games in 2022-2023 season.
02
ISU women's basketball averaged 12,500 fans per home game in 2023.
03
ISU football stadium capacity: 61,500 at Jack Trice Stadium.
04
ISU wrestling team national champions: 2023 Big 12 title, NCAA runners-up.
05
ISU track and field: 15 Big 12 titles since 2000.
06
ISU softball team attendance record: 1,800 average in 2023.
07
ISU men's golf Big 12 champions 2023.
08
ISU athletic department budget: $120 million in FY2023.
09
ISU student-athletes total: 600 competing in 20 varsity sports.
10
ISU Academic All-Big 12 honorees: 150 in 2022-2023.
11
ISU volleyball team: 22-10 record, NCAA tournament 2023.
12
ISU baseball wins: 37 in 2023 season.
13
ISU cross country: Men's team #1 nationally ranked 2023.
14
ISU athletic facilities: 20 venues including Lied Recreation Center for 500,000 visits/year.
15
ISU tailgate attendance average: 50,000 for football games.
16
ISU esports program: 10 teams, 200 participants, conference champions 2023.
17
ISU club sports: 50 clubs with 3,000 members.
18
ISU NCAA Division I affiliation: Big 12 Conference since 2011.
Interpretation
Athletics Interpretation
Across ISU athletics, the program shows steady high-level draw and performance, highlighted by venues and teams bringing standout momentum such as 12,500 women’s basketball home fans in 2023 and 15 Big 12 track and field titles since 2000.
03 · Category
Campus Facilities20 stats
01
ISU total campus area: 1,796 acres in Ames, Iowa.
02
ISU residence halls: 28 buildings housing 10,000 students.
03
ISU dining centers: 5 locations serving 20,000 meals daily.
04
ISU parking spaces: 20,000 on campus for 2023.
05
ISU Reiman Gardens: 14-acre botanical garden with 6,000 plant species.
06
ISU Memorial Union: 250,000 sq ft, hosts 1 million visitors yearly.
07
ISU recreational facilities: 350,000 sq ft fitness space.
08
ISU farm operations: 1,800 acres for teaching/research.
09
ISU transit system: CyRide buses with 5 million rides annually.
10
ISU sustainability features: 50 LEED certified buildings.
11
ISU dorm room types: 70% doubles, 20% singles, 10% suites/apartments.
12
ISU wireless coverage: 99% of campus buildings.
13
ISU art installations: 50 public sculptures on campus.
14
ISU health center visits: 40,000 annually.
15
ISU bookstore sales: $15 million yearly.
16
ISU conference center capacity: 1,000 guests.
17
ISU greenhouses: 1.5 acres for research.
18
ISU observatory: 16-inch telescope for student use.
19
ISU virtual reality labs: 10 across departments.
20
ISU total building square footage: 13 million sq ft.
Interpretation
Campus Facilities Interpretation
Under the Campus Facilities category, Iowa State’s scale stands out with 1,796 acres and 28 residence halls accommodating 10,000 students, showing that housing and space planning are major foundations of the campus experience.
More related reading
04 · Category
Demographics30 stats
01
Iowa State University (ISU) total enrollment in fall 2023 was 36,660 students including 26,165 undergraduates and 10,495 graduates.
02
ISU undergraduate enrollment breakdown shows 52% from Iowa, 30% from other US states, and 18% international students in 2023.
03
ISU student gender distribution is 53% male and 47% female as of fall 2023.
04
ISU racial demographics: 71% White, 11% Hispanic/Latino, 5% Asian, 4% Black/African American, 3% Two or more races, 6% other/international in 2023.
05
Average age of ISU full-time undergraduates is 20 years old, with 82% aged 18-21 in 2023.
06
ISU has 3,800 first-year students enrolling in fall 2023, with an acceptance rate of 91%.
07
ISU international student population totals 5,500 from 126 countries in 2023.
08
ISU first-generation college students make up 20% of undergraduates in 2023.
09
ISU Pell Grant recipients among undergraduates: 23% in 2022-2023 academic year.
10
ISU student retention rate for first-year to second-year is 88% for fall 2022 cohort.
11
ISU 6-year graduation rate is 76% for full-time bachelor's seeking students entering in 2017.
12
ISU graduate student enrollment by college: 40% in Agriculture/Life Sciences, 25% Engineering, 15% Business, 20% others in 2023.
13
ISU undergraduate students living on-campus: 65% of first-years and 30% overall in 2023.
14
ISU military/veteran students: 400 undergraduates and 200 graduates in 2023.
15
ISU students with disabilities registered: 1,200 or 4% of total enrollment in 2023.
16
ISU adult learner enrollment (25+ years): 12% of undergraduates in fall 2023.
17
ISU low-income student percentage (under $30k family income): 18% of freshmen in 2023.
18
ISU high school GPA average for admitted freshmen: 3.7 unweighted in 2023.
19
ISU ACT composite score 75th percentile for freshmen: 30, 25th: 22 in 2023.
20
ISU SAT total score 75th percentile for freshmen: 1330, 25th: 1100 in 2023.
21
ISU out-of-state tuition and fees for 2023-2024: $27,683annually.
22
ISU in-state tuition and fees for 2023-2024: $10,133annually.
23
ISU average net price after aid for low-income students: $12,500in 2022.
24
ISU student-to-faculty ratio: 18:1 in 2023.
25
ISU full-time faculty: 1,798 instructional in fall 2023.
26
ISU part-time faculty: 450 in fall 2023.
27
ISU staff employees total: 6,200 non-faculty in 2023.
28
ISU women faculty percentage: 42% of full-time instructional faculty in 2023.
29
ISU minority faculty percentage: 22% of full-time faculty in 2023.
30
ISU tenured/tenure-track faculty: 1,500 out of 1,798 full-time in 2023.
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
As of fall 2023, Iowa State’s demographics reflect a predominantly in state and traditional age student body, with 52% undergraduates from Iowa and 82% aged 18 to 21, alongside a diverse racial mix where White students make up 71%.
05 · Category
Research21 stats
01
ISU research expenditures totaled $321 million in fiscal year 2023.
02
ISU federally funded research: $200 million or 62% of total in FY2023.
03
ISU top research areas: Plant Sciences ($50M), Engineering ($80M), Agriculture ($60M) in 2023.
04
ISU patents issued to faculty/students: 25 in 2023.
05
ISU invention disclosures filed: 120 in FY2023.
06
ISU research centers and institutes: 60 active in 2023.
07
ISU NSF-funded grants: 150 active awards totaling $100M in 2023.
08
ISU USDA research funding: $40 million in FY2023.
09
ISU NIH grants: $15 million for biomedical research in 2023.
10
ISU startup companies from research: 10 launched in 2023.
11
ISU postdoctoral researchers: 500 employed in 2023.
12
ISU industry-sponsored research contracts: $50 million in FY2023.
13
ISU high-performance computing users: 2,000 researchers accessing 10 petaflops in 2023.
14
ISU field research stations: 12 across Iowa totaling 20,000 acres in 2023.
15
ISU animal research facilities house 50,000 animals for studies in 2023.
16
ISU climate research contributions: Ames site data since 1951, key for IPCC reports.
17
ISU biofuels research output: 100 publications, 20 patents since 2000.
18
ISU cybersecurity research center funded $10M by DHS in 2023.
19
ISU materials science discoveries: 5 new alloys patented in 2023.
20
ISU plant breeding program releases 10 new crop varieties annually.
21
ISU Cyclone Computer: Ranked top 500 supercomputer globally in 2023.
Interpretation
Research Interpretation
In 2023, ISU’s research picture shows strong public backing and momentum with $321 million in total expenditures, 62% federally funded at $200 million, and a steady innovation pipeline marked by 120 invention disclosures and 25 faculty or student patents.
report visual · Comparison
ISU at a glance: enrollment & retention
Key academic metrics highlight ISU’s scale and student persistence.
Iowa State University (ISU) total enrollment in fall 2023 was 36,660 students including 26,165 undergraduates and 10,49536,660
ISU freshman retention rate in academic programs: 89% in 2023.
89%
ISU student retention rate for first-year to second-year is 88% for fall 2022 cohort.
88%
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Isu Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/isu-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Isu Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/isu-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Isu Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/isu-statistics.
Sources & references
57 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level