The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), established in 1900, is the largest of the 11 colleges that comprise the University of Iowa, with 39 departments spanning the visual, performing, and cinematic arts; humanities; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines.

More than 16,500 undergraduates are currently enrolled in our College, and more than 2,300 graduate students are enrolled in programs offered by our departments. In any single year, our College awards about 70% of the University's undergraduate degrees, and 45% of the University's graduate degrees are awarded to students studying in CLAS departments.

CLAS students can choose from 64 undergraduate majors, 65 minors, and 15 interdisciplinary certificate programs. We encourage our students to combine areas of study to create unique academic portfolios that help them develop their talents and stand out among their peers.

About 56% of our College's undergraduate students come from Iowa, representing all 99 counties. Fifty-six percent of our students are female. About 1,900 international students study in CLAS--approximately 11% of our total enrollment--and almost 2,700 of our students (about 16%) identify as coming from U.S. minority populations. During the last decade, CLAS has awarded more than 28,000 undergraduate degrees; there are currently about 140,000 living alumni of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, including more than 40,000 living in Iowa.

The College has more than 700 tenured and tenure-track faculty members devoted to teaching, research, and service to their disciplines, the University, and the state of Iowa. In fiscal year 2014, CLAS faculty garnered about $43.5 million in external research funding.

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is led by Dean Chaden Djalali. The College's Executive Associate Dean, Raúl Curto, is Associate Dean for Faculty and Diversity, and the Natural and Mathematical Sciences; associate deans are Marc Armstrong, Associate Dean for Graduate & Online Education, and the Social Sciences; Helena Dettmer, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs & Curriculum, and the Humanities; and Joseph Kearney, Associate Dean for Research & Infrastructure, and the Arts. Assistant Dean Dian Gottlob works with the Dean of the College, provides staff support for the CLAS Executive Committee, and supports departmental and program reviews. The College's Director of Business and Financial Administration, Erin Herting, and Director of Administrative Planning and Operations, Karna Wieck, are also assistants to the Dean.

Many of our programs have been ranked by U.S. News & World Report and other publications as among the nation's best. Our top programs and their rankings are as follows: