The Iowa State MBA: What You Need To Know

Located on Iowa State University’s campus in Ames, Iowa, Ivy MBA students are situated on one of the most beautiful campuses in America, with more than 150 historically listed buildings. Founded in 1869, the school was also one of the first land grant universities founded on the idea that college should be affordable to everyone regardless of gender or finances. The college is now among the top 10 percent of all accredited, full-time MBA programs in the United States, according to the 2022 graduate rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

The MBA admitted their first cohort in 1992 and graduated their first class in 1994. Whether students are angling for a promotion or preparing to climb the corporate ladder, Ivy offers all students a path to success.

The two-year MBA requires completing 48 credit hours of study, with the first 30-credits of the program consisting of core classes, giving students a solid business background while incorporating the school’s core value of corporate social responsibility throughout the curriculum. Ivy knows what works well for students and maintains a focus on team-base experiential learning including case competitions, consulting, and professional development opportunities.

In the past few years, Ivy has welcomed relatively small cohorts of 56 students on average. The final 18-credits of the MBA program are electives, with the idea being students have the opportunity to tailor their degree towards their career goals. Seven specializations are offered including accounting, business analytics, finance, information systems, marketing, supply chain management, and leadership.

Full-time MBA students are required to participate in real-world consulting projects via internal and external case competitions, and students have access to many international study abroad opportunities. To apply, students can expect to submit GMAT/GRE scores, a resume, college transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a personal essay.

Students can expect an opportunity-filled future with full access to Ivy’s graduate career services such as career coaching, partnerships with hiring managers, training workshops and internship support.

Rankings Data For Iowa State University's College of Business

Ranking	Poets&Quants
2025-2026	61
2024-2025	N/A
2023-2024	67
2022-2023	72
2021-2022	65

Iowa State MBA Employment Stats

Income Statistics of Iowa State Ivy’s MBA Grads

Career Statistics	2019	2018	2014	2013
Median Base Salary	$72,000	$64,000	$62,000	$65,000

Iowa State Ivy MBA Graduate Employment Statistics

Employment Offers	2024	2019	2018	2014	2013
% of MBAs with Job Offer by Graduation		73	93	81	89
% of MBAs with Job Offer 3 months post Graduation	93	93	100	95	93

Industry Choices of Iowa State Ivy’s MBAs

Industry	2019	2014
Aerospace	7
Ag/Biotech	3	15
Consulting	19	5
Consumer Products		10
Energy	3	5
Engineering Managment		5
Financial Services	10	15
Govt/Nonprofit	3
Healthcare	7
Hospitality		5
Manufacturing	19	35
Professional Services	3
Technology	26
Other		5

Where Iowa State Ivy’s MBAs Went To Work

Employers 2024
Belden	Business Solver	Cargill
Caterpillar	Citadel	Collins Aerospace
Conagra Brands	Daikin Applied Americas	Deawester Grain Services
Epic	Feed Energy	Geico
General Mills	Honeywell	Infra
Intel	Jack Links Protein Snacks	John Deere
KAMP Automation	Kiewit	Madesmart
Mechanical Sales Inc.	MIDASoft Inc.	Midwest Asset Acceptance Group
Motorola Solutions	Pella	PIC
Post Consumer Brands	PricewaterhouseCoopers	RP Constructors
Settje Agri-Services and Engineering	State Farm	U.S. Bank
Vermeer	Walmart	Wells Enterprises
1898 & Co.