Twenty percent of undergrads are in five majors

One in five Iowa State undergraduate students this fall is working toward a degree in one of the university's top five undergraduate majors. In descending order, those are: mechanical engineering, kinesiology and health, aerospace engineering, animal science and computer engineering. Combined, they account for 5,920 Iowa State undergraduates.

The top-five list looks much as it did a decade ago, although computer engineering has replaced civil engineering in the fifth spot. The office of the registrar compiles and posts enrollment data every semester.

Top 5 by gender

When gender is factored in, the undergraduate lists diverge significantly. The male list is dominated by engineering majors -- mechanical, aerospace, computer and software -- with computer science claiming the No. 5 slot. The highest numbers of female undergraduates show up in animal science and elementary education. Kinesiology and health is No. 3 for female undergraduates, with psychology and biology majors rounding out the top five.

Iowa State's undergraduate student body this fall is 57 percent male and 43 percent female.

Excluded from the top five lists are several significant groups of students -- pre-business in the Ivy College of Business, open option in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Design Core in the College of Design. These categories aren't majors but do account for large numbers of freshmen and sophomores in those colleges.

Fall 2018: Most populated majors, with student number

*Students in Engineering and LAS colleges
**Students in AGLS and LAS colleges

By college: Top five undergraduate majors

*Not a major, but captures a significant student number; not included in subtotal
**Biology major is coordinated by two departments jointly administered by two colleges
***Interdepartmental degree program with Engineering college