Iowa State University's fall 2016 enrollment of 36,660 students (an increase of 1.9% or 659 students over last year) marks the eighth year of record enrollment and 10th consecutive year of growth for the state's largest university.

 

"We are pleased to see more moderate growth this fall," said President Steven Leath. "True to our land-grant mission, Iowa State is accessible and affordable; but with lagging state funding, we want to be sure we are growing at a pace that allows us to maintain high quality."

 

Iowa State will continue to call on legislators to increase financial support for higher education. Regardless of state funding, Iowa State expects to remain the most affordable university among its peer institutions.

 

The university maintains its long history of being the top choice for more Iowa students than any other school in the world, enrolling new students from all 99 Iowa counties. Nearly 60% (20,713 students) of the student body is comprised of students from Iowa, and Iowa State's freshman class of 6,325 students, a record, includes 3,380 Iowans.

 

Iowa State's popularity goes beyond the state's borders, with representation from every U.S. state and 125 countries.

 

Iowa State remains inclusive and diverse with record enrollments of U.S. multicultural and international students (8,748 students or 24% of the student body).

 

In the last decade, enrollment has grown by 44% (11,198 students) which is due to Iowa State offering programs that are driving the economy; demand for degrees in agriculture, bioscience, business, and engineering account for the majority of Iowa State's record growth.

 

The first-year, full-time student retention rate at Iowa State increased to 87.6%, well above the national average of 78.6%. And nearly 95% of Iowa State graduates are either employed or pursuing further education within six months of graduation.

 

To support the growth of the student body and continue efforts to lower the student-faculty ratio, Iowa State hired 70 new faculty members this year which has also contributed to a record number of faculty on campus.

 

Read more from Iowa State's recent news release.

 

President Leath will introduce Iowa State University's FY2017-2022 Strategic Plan and priorities for this academic year during his annual address on Wednesday, September 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Live video streaming will also be available.