Iron Range Engineering

Iron Range Engineering was founded in 2009 to explore project-based learning as a component of producing engineers that were not only learning engineering fundamental principles in multiple engineering areas, but also learning by experience. Each student will participate in four projects during the course of their Junior and Senior years in the program. They graduate with design and project management experience as well as experience in leading and participating in a team environment. Our program was recently ranked fifth in the world in producing innovative & creative engineers by MIT. IRE has both a lower (freshmen/sophomore) division program through Itasca Community College and Mesabi Range Community College, as well as the two-year upper division degree program though Minnesota State University, Mankato. Classes are located in Grand Rapids, MN and Virginia, MN for the lower division, and at Virginia, MN for the Upper Division. While studying with IRE, students seek out co-op opportunities and internships, where they have a chance to apply their engineering content knowledge in real world environments. The upper division curriculum is based on the latest research in engineering education as is translating that research into practice. Our graduates are highly sought after by companies and our program has a 95% placement rate within the first year of graduation. Most students will graduate with a position already accepted - which grants them the honor of ringing the IRE Bell during the graduation ceremony. IRE is the educational experience of a lifetime.