National university
#5 Best colleges in IowaUniversity of Iowa
Iowa City, IA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $23,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $22,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
University of Iowa Campus Tour · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#84 of 1,046
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#116 of 950
- Best colleges for social work in America#74 of 605
- Best colleges for nursing in America#140 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#150 of 1,132
- Best colleges for marketing in America#120 of 834
Show 16 more
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#284 of 1,829
- Best colleges for business in America#244 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#209 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#202 of 1,238
- Best colleges for finance in America#127 of 744
- Best colleges for psychology in America#267 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#352 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#253 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#270 of 1,358
- Best test-optional colleges in America#308 of 1,481
- Best colleges for art and design in America#253 of 1,187
- Best colleges for history in America#266 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#265 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#270 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#247 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#264 of 1,116
In Iowa
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Iowa#1 of 19
- Best colleges for social work in Iowa#1 of 14
- Best colleges for engineering in Iowa#1 of 13
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Iowa#2 of 25
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Iowa#2 of 24
- Best colleges for accounting in Iowa#2 of 23
Show 22 more
- Best colleges for nursing in Iowa#2 of 19
- Best colleges for business in Iowa#3 of 27
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Iowa#3 of 26
- Best colleges for education in Iowa#3 of 26
- Best colleges for English in Iowa#3 of 26
- Best colleges for history in Iowa#3 of 25
- Best colleges for mathematics in Iowa#3 of 25
- Best colleges for music in Iowa#3 of 25
- Best colleges for marketing in Iowa#2 of 16
- Best colleges for art and design in Iowa#3 of 24
- Best colleges for chemistry in Iowa#3 of 23
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Iowa#2 of 15
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Iowa#3 of 21
- Best colleges for psychology in Iowa#4 of 27
- Best colleges for finance in Iowa#2 of 13
- Best colleges for computer science in Iowa#3 of 19
- Best colleges in Iowa#5 of 30
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Iowa#5 of 30
- Best test-optional colleges in Iowa#5 of 29
- Best colleges for economics in Iowa#3 of 17
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Iowa#3 of 16
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Iowa#4 of 15
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.75%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.90%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,200 · ACT 24.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$15,714
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $28,596 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 22,130 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 43% · Women 57% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 22% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 47% |
| Total students | 30,042 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $23,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $28,596 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 75% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 61% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 61% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 71% |
| First-year retention | 90% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $64,762 |
| Admission rate | 84% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $40 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 18% |
| Average SAT | 1200 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 570–670 |
| SAT math | 560–660 |
| ACT composite | 21–28 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good · Top 37% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Accounting | |
| Management science | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Finance | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Mathematics | |
| Marketing | |
| Nursing | |
| Human resources | |
| Economics | |
| Allied health | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Business administration | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Political science | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Criminology | |
| Communication studies | |
| Biology | |
| Chemistry | |
| Dance | |
| Geography | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | |
| Journalism | |
| Philosophy | |
| Romance languages | |
| Sociology | |
| Social work | |
| English | |
| Teacher education | |
| Psychology | |
| Music | |
| Film and video | |
| Global studies | |
| History | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Fine arts | |
| Area studies | |
| Anthropology | |
| Other english language and literature/letters | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Astronomy and Astrophysics, Behavioral Sciences, Business (general), Classical and Ancient Studies, Classics, Clinical laboratory science, Computer engineering, Computer science, Data Science, Engineering (general), Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, General studies, Geology and earth science, German, Insurance, International relations, Linguistics, Medicine, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Neuroscience, Physics, Pre-health, Pre-law and legal studies, Public health, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious studies, Secondary education, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Systems Science and Theory.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Parks, recreation and fitness | |
| Health professions | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Engineering |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 5% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 5% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $12,920 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big Ten Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 16 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 5%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 88%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $119,558IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 30% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)About 18 miles away · about 35 minutes by car |
| Town population | 75,752Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | MadisonAbout 146 miles away · about 3 hours 45 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 23°F in January · 76°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Iowa City Municipal Airport, IA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is University of Iowa’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 19% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does University of Iowa cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $23,000 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into University of Iowa?
- University of Iowa admitted 84% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do University of Iowa’s graduates do?
- 75% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $64,762; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 153658
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: University of Iowa vs University of Nebraska-Lincoln · University of Iowa vs University of Missouri-Columbia · University of Iowa vs University of Kentucky · University of Iowa vs University of Kansas
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