Iowa State University

Iowa State University is a public land-grant research university in Ames, IA, about 40 minutes from Des Moines. The university offers more than 115 bachelor’s degree programs, including a variety of science- and environmental-related majors. Mechanical engineering is the most popular major, while many students also study marketing, agriculture and exercise science. Iowa State is home to a research laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA’s Iowa Space Grant Consortium. Iowa State has more than 900 student clubs, including uncommon groups like rodeo club and an amphibian and reptile interest club. There are several scholarships for transfer students, such as a $6,500 scholarship for out-of-state students who transfer to Iowa State.