Science Bound

What Science Bound does

Science Bound is Iowa State University's pre-college through college educational program, launched in 1991 with a National Science Foundation grant and operated from the College of Human Sciences in Ames, Iowa. The program recruits middle school students from four Iowa communities—Des Moines, Denison, Marshalltown, and Clarke County (Osceola)—and supports them through a nine-year pipeline culminating in full tuition scholarships at Iowa State University for qualifying ASTEM (agriculture, science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and education degrees. Programming is delivered through a four-way collaborative model involving ISU faculty and staff, corporate STEM professionals, school district teachers and administrators, and parents and families, with no fees charged to student participants. As of 2025, Science Bound serves 711 pre-college through college students and families, with 372 graduates having earned ISU degrees and a documented 98% direct college-entry rate since 2019.

The offering comprises four sequential stages: the 8th Grade Preparatory Program (orientation, biweekly meetings, science fair requirements), the High School Scholars Program (weekly meetings, three ISU campus visits annually, 3.0 GPA maintenance, 40 hours of summer academic career experiences), the College Scholars Program (full tuition scholarship, mentoring, academic success programming), and the Family Engagement Program (bilingual communications, family workshops). Technology use is limited to standard educational tools—email, web resources, and digital calendars—with no proprietary software platform, mobile application, or API surface disclosed.

Revenue mechanics rely entirely on grants and corporate sponsorships rather than participant fees. Champion-level sponsors (Hormel, NSF, Principal Financial Group, USDA, United Way of Central Iowa) contribute $50,000+ each; Trailblazer sponsors (Collins Aerospace, Corteva) contribute $25,000+; and Amplifier, Cultivator, and Friend tier sponsors (Deere & Co., Turner Construction, Anderson Corporate Foundation, Cargill, Syngenta) round out the funding base. Full tuition scholarships to ISU are funded through the university itself, representing a substantial in-kind commitment beyond direct program sponsorship. The program has a small dedicated staff of roughly six to sixteen personnel led by Dr. Alexis Campbell, the first full-time director appointed in 2017.

Name

Science Bound

Legal name

Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Website

https://sciencebound.iastate.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Science Bound is Iowa State University's pre-college through college educational program recruiting Iowa middle schoolers across four communities and supporting them through nine years of programming plus full ISU tuition scholarships in ASTEM and education fields.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education and Workforce Development

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gifted, Advanced & Acceleration Centers (Honors/AP/IB Enrichment) (EDANAHAL)

Keywords

• STEM education program
• Pre-college mentoring
• College readiness support
• Workforce development pipeline
• Scholarship program

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Grants: Science Bound operates as a funded educational program supported by corporate sponsors and government grants. Major sponsors include Hormel, National Science Foundation, Principal Financial Group, USDA, United Way of Central Iowa (Champion level $50,000+), Collins Aerospace and Corteva (Trailblazer level $25,000+), Anderson Corporate Foundation, Deere & Co., and Turner Construction (Amplifier level $10,000+). The program provides full tuition scholarships to qualifying students who complete the high school program and pursue ASTEM or education degrees at ISU.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Science Bound is Iowa State University's pre-college through college educational program engaging middle and high school students from four Iowa communities (Denison, Des Moines, Marshalltown, and Clarke County) starting in 8th grade and supporting them through college graduation. Students participate in a four-stage pipeline (8th Grade Preparatory, High School Scholars, College Scholars, Family Engagement) with academic enrichment, mentorship, campus visits, and qualify for full tuition scholarships to Iowa State University for pursuing ASTEM or education degrees.

Product overview

Science Bound is Iowa State University's pre-college through college educational support program, not a software product. It operates as a four-stage pipeline comprising the 8th Grade Preparatory Program, High School Scholars Program, College Scholars Program, and Family Engagement Program. Students enter during 8th grade and progress through the nine-year program to college graduation, with the College Scholars Program providing full tuition scholarships for qualifying ASTEM and education degrees at ISU.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 8th Grade Preparatory Program Entry-level Science Bound program inviting students at the end of 7th grade into 8th grade at 13 partner middle schools. Features orientation, biweekly meetings, Algebra Champions, environmental sciences retreat, and science fair requirements.
• High School Scholars Program Four-year high school program requiring weekly meetings with Science Bound teachers, three ISU campus visits annually, 3.0 GPA maintenance, yearly oral justification presentations, and 40 hours of summer academic career experiences, including Countdown 2 College in senior year. Designed for students continuing from the 8th Grade Preparatory Program.
• College Scholars Program Undergraduate program at Iowa State University offering full tuition scholarships for ASTEM and education degrees. Includes First-Year Seminar, Academic Success Program, Scholar Breakfasts, and SB Scholar Leaders mentorship for transitioned high school graduates.
• Family Engagement Program Family support initiative providing bilingual English/Spanish communications, yearly program kick-off events, two family workshops per year, twice-yearly student progress letters, and college-going workshop series to support parents and family members of Science Bound students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of Science Bound high school graduates since 2019 have entered college directly after high school
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Iowa State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIowa State University is the host institution providing core administrative and financial support. ISU faculty and staff provide vision and support for program implementation. Provides full tuition scholarships to qualifying students.
• Denison Community School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Iowa State University, Denison Community School District, and Farmland Foods through Smithfield Foods. Partnership has spanned over 15 years.
• Des Moines Community School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDes Moines Public Schools is the largest Science Bound program with over 300 scholars. Partnership involves 5 high schools and 9 middle schools across the district.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): National K-12 charter school network focused on college preparation for underserved students. Larger and broader in scope than Science Bound, but shares the mission of building college pathways for underrepresented youth.
• AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination): Nationwide K-12 college readiness system serving millions of students across thousands of schools. Broader and more established than Science Bound, but addresses the same college-readiness gap with similar cohort-based support structures.
• Project Lead the Way: National nonprofit providing STEM curriculum and teacher training for K-12 schools. Larger scale and curriculum-focused rather than direct student pipeline, but shares the STEM workforce development mission relevant to Science Bound's corporate sponsors.

Direct peers

• SMASH Academy: STEM college-prep program for high school students from underrepresented communities, run by the Level Playing Field Institute. Comparable mission of pre-college-to-college STEM pipeline development with university and corporate partnerships.
• TRIO Upward Bound: Federal TRIO pre-college program targeting low-income and first-generation students with academic preparation, mentoring, and college readiness support. Closest federal analog to Science Bound's nine-year pre-college through college pipeline.
• Posse Foundation: College access and leadership program that identifies and places diverse student cohorts at partner universities. Comparable in cohort-based college access model with university partnerships and scholarship components.
• GEAR UP: Federal college-readiness program serving low-income middle and high school students with state and partnership-based delivery. Highly comparable cohort-based, multi-year college preparation model.
• QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving low-income students with selective colleges through scholarships and college-match programs. Comparable mission of removing financial barriers and providing college access support to underrepresented students.
• MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement): UC system-wide pre-college STEM pipeline program serving underrepresented students through K-12 and into college. Operates a very similar model of multi-year engagement, university affiliation, corporate sponsorship, and STEM degree outcomes to Science Bound.

Regional players

• INROADS: National nonprofit providing career development and corporate internship pathways for high-achieving minority college students. Comparable mission of building diverse professional talent pipelines with corporate sponsor support, though focuses on the college-to-career transition rather than pre-college.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/isusciencebound
• Facebookfacebook.com/isusciencebound
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sciencebound
• Instagraminstagram.com/isusciencebound/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Science Bound