AMES, Iowa – Moving up two spots from last year, Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences agricultural and forestry programs are ranked No. 12 globally among 477 institutions, according to the 2025 QS World University Rankings. This is the 12th consecutive year the programs have been among the top 4% worldwide. Compared to U.S. institutions, Iowa State holds the No. 6 spot.
“We are thrilled to once again see our college’s programs ranked among the world’s best,” said Daniel J. Robison, holder of the endowed dean’s chair in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence in teaching, research and extension. Our students, faculty and staff work hard every day to transform ideas into learning and innovations, conduct groundbreaking research, and engage with the community to make our state, nation and world a better place.”
The QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings are a resource for students deciding which university to attend. The rankings consider the institutions’ academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, H-index (a measurement of the impact of a scientist or scholar’s published work) and international research network.
About CALS
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) offers 27 undergraduate majors and 35 graduate programs within its 14 departments. In the fall of 2024, student enrollment was 4,262, including 3,659 undergraduate and 603 graduate students. From day one, students can join peer mentoring programs and learning communities to build connections and navigate their college journey.
The CALS Pathways to Innovation and Leadership program empowers students to forge their own paths. Students earn micro-credentials by participating in hands-on workshops, completing real-world experiential learning opportunities and enhancing their career-readiness skills. Upon completing a micro-credential, students earn a digital badge to display on their LinkedIn pages as evidence of their skills.
Students seeking additional innovation and entrepreneurial guidance can join Start Something CALS. The program offers entrepreneurial courses and opportunities to develop business ideas and grow professional networks through such programs as the Change-Maker Academy and Student Incubator.
Undergraduate research opportunities are another strength of CALS. The Science With Practice program pairs undergraduate students with faculty and staff to work on research projects relevant to the students’ programs of study.
Faculty are enabled to implement innovative techniques in their teaching and research by participating in the CALS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows program.
CALS is also a leader in research and extension. During the past five years, Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station scientists have leveraged capacity funding to secure approximately $61 million annually in external funding. Expanding programs drive the relevancy and impact of the college’s research and extension efforts, such as the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative, the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex and the Digital Ag Innovation Lab.
To learn more, visit the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences website.
Contact
Whitney Baxter, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications, 515-294-2314, wjsager@iastate.edu