Iowa State University College of Business

What Iowa State University College of Business does

The Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business is the business school of Iowa State University, a public land-grant research university established in 1858. The college is the largest undergraduate business college in Iowa and the only public-university business college in the state where students are directly admitted into the college and into their major on day one. It holds AACSB accreditation and was ranked #9 globally for undergraduate entrepreneurship programs by The Princeton Review (2025), placing it #1 in Iowa and #4 in the Midwest. Its primary campus is the Gerdin Business Building at 2167 Union Drive in Ames, Iowa.

The college offers a layered portfolio of degree and experiential programs. Core academic products include direct-admission undergraduate majors in accounting, finance, marketing, management, supply chain management, and entrepreneurship; graduate master's programs; the Ivy MBA in full-time, part-time, and executive formats; and a PhD program. These degree programs are wrapped in a Learn-by-Doing ecosystem that includes CyBIZ Lab for real-world consulting projects, CYStarters for student startup acceleration, Career Services for internships and job placement, the Ivy Writing and Speaking Center, and International Programs for study abroad. Ivy Custom Education extends the offering into paid executive education for corporate clients, and an Industry Partners program formalizes employer engagement.

Revenue is generated through tuition and fees from undergraduate and graduate enrollment, state appropriations as part of the public university system, philanthropic donations routed through the Iowa State University Foundation, and fee-based custom executive education. Students are recruited through the central Iowa State University admissions office and through social, content, and alumni channels managed by the college. The college is governed within Iowa State University's administrative structure and is led by Raj Agnihotri as Raisbeck Endowed Dean. The 2015 $50 million gift from Debbie and Jerry Ivy underwrites the college's named brand and likely a portion of its programmatic endowment.

Name

Iowa State University College of Business

Legal name

Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Website

https://business.iastate.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1858

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business is Iowa State University's AACSB-accredited business school, offering direct-admission undergraduate, graduate, MBA, and PhD programs to students primarily in Iowa and the broader Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Education

NAICS

Business and Secretarial Schools (611410), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAHAA

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes

SECONDARYEDAHAHAN

Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes

SECONDARYEDAHAHAO

Management Research Institutes & Doctoral (PhD/DBA) Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes

Keywords

• Business education
• Undergraduate business
• MBA programs
• Executive education
• Higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ames

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Public university college funded primarily through tuition and state appropriations. Revenue comes from undergraduate and graduate tuition, program fees, and technology fees.
2. Alumni and Friends Donations: The college accepts donations through the Iowa State University Foundation, with a dedicated giving page for the business college.
3. Custom Executive Education: Ivy Custom Education provides executive education programs for working professionals and organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business at Iowa State University is a public university college that delivers AACSB-accredited business education through direct-admission undergraduate programs, graduate programs, an MBA, and a PhD program. It supports degree programs with experiential learning offerings (CyBIZ Lab, CYStarters, international programs) and sells custom executive education to organizations through Ivy Custom Education.

Product overview

The Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business is an educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of degree programs and student services. The core academic offerings include direct-admission undergraduate programs, graduate programs, the Ivy MBA, and a PhD program. These programs are supported by experiential learning components including CyBIZ Lab, career services, and the Ivy Writing and Speaking Center. The college also provides specialized programs in international education, innovation and entrepreneurship (CYStarters), and custom executive education through Ivy Custom Education. The college ranks #9 in the world for undergraduate entrepreneurship programs according to The Princeton Review.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ivy MBA: The flagship MBA program of the Ivy College of Business offering full-time, part-time, and executive MBA options.
• CyBIZ Lab
• CYStarters

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Industry PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe college maintains an Industry Partners program through its Learn by Doing initiative. Industry partners engage with students for recruitment, internships, co-ops, classroom projects, and career development. The CyBIZ Lab also connects students with real-world business consulting projects for industry clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• University of Michigan Ross School of Business: Larger and higher-ranked Big Ten public business school that competes for the same top applicant segment; broader portfolio and significantly more resources, but similar academic structure and target market.

Direct peers

• University of Illinois Gies College of Business: Big Ten public business school known for entrepreneurship, online MBA leadership, AACSB accreditation, and a similar mix of undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral programs aimed at a broad applicant pool.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin School of Business: Big Ten peer public university business school with comparable scale, AACSB accreditation, undergraduate direct-admission tracks, and a similar MBA/executive education portfolio targeting Midwest employers.
• Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business: Big Ten public business school of similar size to Ivy, AACSB-accredited, with supply chain and undergraduate programs of comparable reputation and an industry-partner-driven experiential learning model.
• Indiana University Kelley School of Business: Leading Big Ten public business school with top-ranked undergraduate, MBA, and online MBA programs; offers the closest comparable direct-admission undergraduate model and a similarly sized executive education operation.
• University of Iowa Tippie College of Business: Iowa's other major public business school; competes directly with Ivy for the same in-state applicant pool, AACSB-accredited, and offers undergraduate, MBA, and PhD programs in the same market.
• Purdue University Krannert School of Management: Big Ten, AACSB-accredited business school with undergraduate, MBA, and PhD programs and substantial industry partnerships, comparable in scale and positioning to the Ivy College of Business.
• University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management: Big Ten, AACSB-accredited public business school with full-time MBA, specialty masters, executive education, and strong corporate partner programs; directly comparable in mission and structure to Ivy College of Business.

Regional players

• University of Kansas School of Business: Comparable Midwestern Big 12/AAU-adjacent public business school with similar AACSB-accredited programs in accounting, finance, supply chain, and MBA, serving an overlapping but non-overlapping geography.
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business: Big Ten Conference peer public business school in an adjacent Great Plains state; offers undergraduate, MBA, and executive education and competes for regional applicants and corporate training clients but does not directly compete in Iowa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISU_CoB
• YouTubeyoutube.com/IvyIowaState
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISU.CollegeofBusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iowa-state-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/ivyiowastate

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iowa State University College of Business