ISU College of Business graduate program among 'least expensive' in U.S. News ranking

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University's College of Business ranks third in a recent U.S. News & World Report list of the least expensive public graduate business schools for in-state students, and is also the fifth-least expensive on the magazine's list for out-of-state students.

The magazine reports that average tuition and required fees for in-state graduate students at ISU's College of Business was $8,009 in 2010-11, and $19,437 for out-of-state students. The figures used in the rankings don't include room and board, books and other miscellaneous costs.

"We're happy to have earned this recognition from U.S. News & World Report," said Labh Hira (right), the Raisbeck Endowed Dean of College of Business at Iowa State. "Even in very tough economic times, we work hard to keep the cost of our graduate programs affordable and accessible to as many students as possible."

According to Brian Burnsed's accompanying story, U.S. News surveyed more than 400 schools for its 2010 survey of business programs. Schools self-reported data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas.

This is the second time in three months that's Iowa State's College of Business graduate programs have been ranked favorably by U.S. News & World Report. In April, the ISU Master of Business Administration (MBA) program was third in a U.S. News ranking of MBA career placement success, with 96.3 percent of Iowa State's MBA graduates being employed within three months of graduation.

"This really validates the incredible value of a graduate business degree from Iowa State," said Mike Crum (right), associate dean of graduate programs in ISU's College of Business. "Given our program's high rankings, reasonable costs for in- and out-of-state students, and our job placement rate among the top five in the nation, we have a strong product to offer prospective students."

Additional information on Iowa State College of Business graduate programs is available at http://www.business.iastate.edu/masters/.