PARENT INFORMATION

If your son or daughter has any interest in biology and life sciences, food and fiber, biotechnology, the environment, animals, plants, nutrition or business, the College of Agriculture has several majors to give them a good start on a career path.

Iowa State's College of Agriculture is known nationally and internationally as an outstanding educational institution. Its teachers and researchers are considered among the best in their disciplines. Employers know this and seek out our students for internships and jobs.

Reasons students should consider the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University:

Most College of Agriculture graduates have jobs before they receive their diplomas. The last survey of graduates found 98 percent working or pursuing further education a year after graduation.
The College of Agriculture is a good value. More than 750 scholarships worth more than $1 million are awarded to students in the College of Agriculture each year. Scholarships are available for students at all educational levels.
Our students don’t just learn in the classroom. They roll up their sleeves and work side by side with our professors. For students looking for hands-on learning experiences in research, the College of Agriculture is the place to be. Our faculty welcome undergraduate students to join their research teams and participate in research projects. Our undergraduate students recently have contributed to important, cutting-edge studies including analyzing soy protein for healthier diets, monitoring fungal organisms for disease, investigating water quality of lakes, evaluating the health and growth of plants and studying how families interact.
We offer access to internships and other paying work experiences that give graduates an advantage when looking for jobs. On average, College graduates who have interned can expect $3,000 greater starting salaries than those who haven’t. Each fall, our College’s career day is the biggest such event in the country and marks the beginning of internship recruitment season. The College's Career Services office helps students find openings and coordinates interviews when employers come to campus looking for interns. You may not even have to leave campus. An innovative new College program, “Science with Practice,” is providing paid internship experiences working alongside mentors in labs, offices and other settings.
The College of Agriculture ranks second in the nation for the number of students who study abroad each year. Study abroad is one of the best ways to prepare for a career in the global market place. Trips and programs go to all seven continents.
Iowa State’s central campus was one of three university campuses selected for the American Association of Landscape Architect’s centennial listing of “Medallion Sites.” It includes more than 200 works of art and the nation’s largest public collection of sculptures by Christian Petersen.
Iowa State University and the city of Ames provide a small-town atmosphere with a low crime rate, easy transportation and a friendly social scene. And yet the Iowa State campus gives Ames a cosmopolitan feel. Students from a variety of countries and cultures provide a diverse mix. Social and entertainment opportunities flourish on campus, in Ames and Des Moines, the state capitol 30 miles away.