Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Iowa State graduates demonstrate steady earnings progression from early to mid-career. Median earnings grow from $53,873 at six years to $59,021 at eight years, reaching $63,386 at ten years post-enrollment.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings align with peer institutions — outcomes are in line with similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $22,869 in debt with typical earnings.
Iowa State graduates carry a median debt of $22,869, compared to a peer median of $20,000, indicating slightly higher borrowing than similar institutions. Debt levels range from $8,250 at the 25th percentile to $27,000 at the 75th percentile, showing variation in borrowing patterns among students.
Iowa State University ranks at the 82.4th percentile for return on investment, demonstrating well above average performance relative to similar institutions. Graduates earn $63,386 ten years after enrollment, ranking at the 78th percentile nationally and exceeding the peer median by $2,843 annually.
Approximately 22.9% of Iowa State graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on program mix analysis with high confidence. This cont...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Engineering programs drive Iowa State's strongest return outcomes, with Computer Engineering graduates earning $95,433 and Chemical Engineering producing $87,688. Mechanical Engineering, while earning $81,779, represents the largest high-earning cohort with 429 graduates annually.
Business programs provide solid middle-tier returns, with Business Administration graduates earning $68,354 across large enrollment numbers. Agricultural programs demonstrate exceptional value despite moderate earnings, with Agribusiness operations ranking #6 nationally.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings outcomes span from $43,544 at the 25th percentile to $90,188 at the 75th percentile, creating a 2.1:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. Low-income graduates earn $53,500, demonstrating solid mobility potential for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
