Three people work with shovels in a marshy field. Silhouette of a researcher looking into a microscope. Three people in construction clothes look at a blueprint. Portrait of Trevor Friedl with a drone. Silhouette of a researcher wearing 3D goggles in a lab.

College of Engineering

Your path to an amazing engineering career begins here

A prestigious engineering program is nothing without passion – inspiring future engineering leaders, pursuing groundbreaking research, transforming technology to make a difference and creating solutions to make the world a better place.

Two students crouch with a remote control exploratory vehicle in a corn field
An engineering student works on equipment in the lab.

What can I study?

Iowa State engineering graduates are in high demand. With so many academic options, you can choose what inspires you most to help change the world.  

Majors, minors and certificates

Research

The College of Engineering is creating new solutions to society's challenges with work in six signature research areas – advanced materials and manufacturing, engineered medicine, engineering education, energy systems, resilient infrastructures, and secure cyberspace and autonomy.

Simulated storms for safer structures

Two researchers work in the tornado simulator.
The research being conducted at the nationally recognized Nanovaccine Institute is having a huge impact on the world. This initiative is revolutionizing the prevention and treatment of diseases such as respiratory infections, tropical diseases, cancer, aging, and animal health.

Innovation and entrepreneurship

The College of Engineering is teaching and coaching students to work with customers and leverage new technology to engineer value-oriented marketplace solutions. 

Start Something in the College of Engineering

A student poses with rockets.
Start Something Engineering provides a customer-focused approach to defining value in new product and process development. By engineering solutions which create real value in the minds of customers, Iowa State engineers will efficiently and effectively achieve success for their companies and themselves.

Opportunities

Engineering students benefit from more than 90 engineering student organizations, study abroad and international programs, engineering specific learning communities, hands-on real-life experiences, internships and co-ops, dedicated academic advisors and career services professionals, leadership opportunities and a collaborative environment dedicated to your success.

Engineering drive

Erick Shoesmith and his Formula SAE teammates put what they learn in the classroom onto the track. The team designs, builds and races an open-wheel, formula-style car, competing with teams from across the nation.

Success at Iowa State

How will you choose to make the world better? Perhaps you will discover sustainable energy sources that won’t pollute the air. Make information more secure in our digital society. Create new transportation systems to safely move people. Design bio-ceramic bone implants to make lives better. Or improve processes in a company to help save time and money. Embrace your potential and discover what you have to offer the world.

Engineering career paths

  • Aerospace engineer

  • Agricultural engineer

  • Biological systems engineer

  • Chemical engineer

  • Civil engineer

  • Computer engineer

  • Construction engineer

  • Cyber security engineer

  • Electrical engineer

  • Environmental engineer

  • Industrial engineer

  • Materials engineer

  • Mechanical engineer

  • Software engineer

Featured story

Headshot of Allison Hubbell

Pursuing ideas I’m passionate about

Allison Hubbell

’24 industrial engineering

I'm ready to apply

Fall view of Beardshear and Morrill Halls from central campus

I'm ready to accept

See all that Iowa State offers