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2025 Best Industrial Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region

9 Colleges in the Plains States Region
637 IE Degrees Awarded
$76,711 Avg Early-Career Salary
Industrial Engineering is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #87 most popular degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for industrial engineering students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 637 degrees in industrial engineering annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Industrial Engineering School

Best Industrial Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region The ie program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Industrial Engineering rankings. For our Best Overall Industrial Engineering School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Industrial Engineering Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in IE
Master's Degrees in IE
Doctor's Degrees in IE

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Industrial Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Industrial Engineering in the Plains States Region

The schools below may not offer all types of ie degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

Top Plains States Region Schools in IE

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
160 IE Degrees Awarded
6.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in industrial engineering has to check out Iowa State University. Iowa State is a very large public university located in the city of Ames. A Best Colleges rank of #88 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 160 industrial engineering students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year. Those industrial engineering students who get their degree from Iowa State University receive $5,926 more than the average ie grad.

More information about a degree in industrial engineering from Iowa State University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 IE Degrees Awarded
$73,777 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you wish to pursue a degree in industrial engineering. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were about 97 industrial engineering students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, ie degree recipients generally earn an average of $73,777 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in industrial engineering from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 IE Degrees Awarded
$75,699 Median Starting Salary

University of Iowa is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in industrial engineering. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were about 42 industrial engineering students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the ie program earn an average of $75,699 for their early career.

More information about a degree in industrial engineering from University of Iowa

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 IE Degrees Awarded
17.1% Growth in Graduates

University of Missouri - Columbia is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in industrial engineering. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 35 industrial engineering students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year. Industrial Engineering degree recipients from University of Missouri - Columbia receive an earnings boost of around $3,183 above the average income of industrial engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in industrial engineering from University of Missouri - Columbia

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 IE Degrees Awarded
$77,724 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Manhattan, K -State is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were about 58 industrial engineering students who graduated with this degree at K -State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the ie program state that they receive average early career income of $77,724.

More information about a degree in industrial engineering from Kansas State University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 IE Degrees Awarded
$70,216 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Rapid City, SD Mines is a public school with a small student population.

There were roughly 46 industrial engineering students who graduated with this degree at SD Mines in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the ie program report average early career income of $70,216.

More information about a degree in industrial engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In KS
108 IE Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Wichita, WSU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 15th out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were roughly 108 industrial engineering students who graduated with this degree at WSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in industrial engineering from Wichita State University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 IE Degrees Awarded
27.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 12 schools for overall quality in the state of North Dakota.

There were roughly 44 industrial engineering students who graduated with this degree at North Dakota State University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the ie program make an average of $68,873 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in industrial engineering from North Dakota State University - Main Campus

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$77,781 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Duluth, UMN Duluth is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 17th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 13 industrial engineering students who graduated with this degree at UMN Duluth in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the ie program report average early career earnings of $77,781.

More information about a degree in industrial engineering from University of Minnesota - Duluth

Best Industrial Engineering Colleges by State

Explore the best industrial engineering colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 130
Missouri 283 55
Kansas 266 148
Iowa 264 233
Nebraska 238 0
North Dakota 210 32
South Dakota 204 41

View All Rankings >

One of 41 majors within the Engineering area of study, Industrial Engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

IE Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Industrial Engineering 637

View All IE Concentrations >

Majors Similar to IE

Related Major Annual Graduates
Mechanical Engineering 2,877
Civil Engineering 1,355
Electrical Engineering 1,111
Computer Engineering 1,012
Chemical Engineering 799
Biomedical Engineering 627
General Engineering 566
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 562
Agricultural Engineering 261
Other Engineering 181

View All IE Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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