Authority

Ranking

Best Colleges in Iowa

Best Colleges in Iowa

Best Colleges By State

Colleges

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Why Should I Consider Studying in Iowa?

If you enjoy small communities and appreciate schools that place a premium on research, arts, and sports, then you’ll love Iowa. The University of Iowa is right in the state’s capital, Iowa City. The school offers programs ranging across engineering, humanities, and sciences. This capital city has gained recognition for its theater and music, and the university ranks among the best for performing arts programs.

The Iowas State University at Ames is a top choice if you’re looking to obtain an engineering degree. It’s one of America’s top engineering schools and well-known for its research programs. Schools like the University of Dubuque and the University of Northern Iowa are great if you want a more intimate college experience.

Iowa allows you to enjoy a small-town atmosphere and a memorable college experience. It also offers excellent employment prospects post-graduation. So you can expect companies to hire students reasonably easily.

Iowa Higher Education By The Numbers

Colleges in Iowa

Iowa has the 29th most colleges in the nation with 76 colleges based there. For context, that's 7.6 times more colleges than the state with the fewest. 75% of Iowa's colleges are private and 25% of its colleges are public. (57 private colleges & 19 public colleges). It has the 34th most public colleges and the 21st most private colleges of any state.

Our favorite colleges in Iowa are Grinnell College, Drake University, and Luther College. Iowa State University has more students than all other public colleges in Iowa's top 25 colleges (35,319). Upper Iowa University has the most students of any private college in our top 25 (6,809).

Students in Iowa

The median state has 314,827 college students. Iowa has 39,529 fewer. There are 209,547 public college students and 65,751 private college students in Iowa. It has fewer public college students than 60% of states and fewer pivate college students than 58% of states. Its 275,298 total students make it the 30th most popular state in the United States of America. 24% of students in Iowa attend private colleges which is the 24th highest percentage across the nation.

Best Colleges in Iowa

Best Colleges in Iowa

A+

Rating

#1 Best Colleges in Iowa

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA | www.grinnell.edu/

19%

Acceptance

1,754

Students

#58

Ranking

$57K

Tuition

A

Rating

#2 Best Colleges in Iowa

Drake University

Des Moines, IA | www.drake.edu/

68%

Acceptance

5,504

Students

#250

Ranking

$44K

Tuition

A

Rating

#3 Best Colleges in Iowa

Luther College

Decorah, IA | www.luther.edu/

64%

Acceptance

1,984

Students

#281

Ranking

$46K

Tuition

A

Rating

#4 Best Colleges in Iowa

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA | www.uiowa.edu/

84%

Acceptance

34,495

Students

#315

Ranking

$32K

Tuition

A

Rating

#5 Best Colleges in Iowa

Iowa State University

Ames, IA | www.iastate.edu/

88%

Acceptance

35,319

Students

#375

Ranking

$25K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#6 Best Colleges in Iowa

Loras College

Dubuque, IA | www.loras.edu/

58%

Acceptance

1,506

Students

#417

Ranking

$35K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#7 Best Colleges in Iowa

Allen College

Waterloo, IA | www.allencollege.edu/

0%

Acceptance

809

Students

#433

Ranking

$20K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#8 Best Colleges in Iowa

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, IA | www.cornellcollege.edu/

82%

Acceptance

1,045

Students

#456

Ranking

$46K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#9 Best Colleges in Iowa

Dordt University

Sioux Center, IA | www.dordt.edu/

72%

Acceptance

1,769

Students

#505

Ranking

$33K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#10 Best Colleges in Iowa

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA | www.coe.edu/

80%

Acceptance

1,468

Students

#542

Ranking

$47K

Tuition

A−

Rating

#11 Best Colleges in Iowa

Wartburg College

Waverly, IA | www.wartburg.edu/

72%

Acceptance

1,567

Students

#550

Ranking

$46K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#12 Best Colleges in Iowa

Central College

Pella, IA | www.central.edu/

64%

Acceptance

1,463

Students

#570

Ranking

$19K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#13 Best Colleges in Iowa

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA | www.sau.edu/

74%

Acceptance

3,208

Students

#620

Ranking

$33K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#14 Best Colleges in Iowa

Northwestern College

Orange City, IA | https://www.nwciowa.edu/

74%

Acceptance

1,851

Students

#629

Ranking

$33K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#15 Best Colleges in Iowa

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA | www.mtmercy.edu/

76%

Acceptance

2,146

Students

#663

Ranking

$36K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#16 Best Colleges in Iowa

Graceland University-Lamoni

Lamoni, IA | www.graceland.edu/

68%

Acceptance

1,926

Students

#682

Ranking

$31K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#17 Best Colleges in Iowa

Morningside College

Sioux City, IA | https://www.morningside.edu/

69%

Acceptance

3,501

Students

#721

Ranking

$34K

Tuition

B

Rating

#18 Best Colleges in Iowa

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA | www.uni.edu/

79%

Acceptance

12,137

Students

#738

Ranking

$21K

Tuition

B

Rating

#19 Best Colleges in Iowa

Clarke University

Dubuque, IA | www.clarke.edu/

89%

Acceptance

992

Students

#823

Ranking

$36K

Tuition

B

Rating

#20 Best Colleges in Iowa

Simpson College

Indianola, IA | simpson.edu/

87%

Acceptance

1,503

Students

#852

Ranking

$42K

Tuition

B

Rating

#21 Best Colleges in Iowa

Palmer College of Chiropractic

Davenport, IA | www.palmer.edu/

0%

Acceptance

2,553

Students

#865

Ranking

$10K

Tuition

B−

Rating

#22 Best Colleges in Iowa

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, IA | www.briarcliff.edu/

0%

Acceptance

1,219

Students

#962

Ranking

$33K

Tuition

B−

Rating

#23 Best Colleges in Iowa

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA | https://www.bvu.edu/

56%

Acceptance

2,435

Students

#1027

Ranking

$36K

Tuition

C+

Rating

#24 Best Colleges in Iowa

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA | https://www.uiu.edu/

65%

Acceptance

6,809

Students

#1206

Ranking

$33K

Tuition

C

Rating

#25 Best Colleges in Iowa

Northwest Iowa Community College

Sheldon, IA | www.nwicc.edu/

0%

Acceptance

2,753

Students

#1326

Ranking

$7K

Tuition

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