The University of Iowa

The University of Iowa Overview

The University of Iowa is a public, state school in a small town setting in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa was founded in 1847 and the school presently has around 29,909 students a year, which includes 21,608 undergraduates. Iowa offers housing for students. Most students live in off campus housing.

📆 Mark your calendar! The deadline to apply regular decision to Iowa for Fall 2023 is May 1. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2023 should find out if they have been admitted by August 1.

Student Activities at Iowa

Love music or performing? At Iowa you can join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of the school's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Iowa students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Excited for Greek life? Iowa has both fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? Iowa has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Iowa on the Student Life page.

Is Iowa a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions difficulty, admitted student statistics, tuition, and financial aid can provide a sense of how selective a college is.

Let's take a closer look at these factors to get a better sense of what Iowa offers and if it seems like a good choice for you.

2022 Acceptance Rate for The University of Iowa

It is moderately difficult to get into Iowa. The university admitted 86% of all applicants in 2022. Last year, 22,434 students applied to Iowa and 19,340 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Iowa

Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. Retention measures how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Around 88% of students who start at Iowa come back the next year. Around 74% of students who started at Iowa earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outcomes for Iowa Grads

Job placement stats are a good resource for understanding the value of a degree from Iowa by providing a look on how job placement has gone for other grads. 68% of graduates from Iowa recieve at least one full-time job offer within six months of graduating.

Recent Iowa grads have an average starting salary of $42,892 a year. The average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year, though these numbers vary widely by major.

Iowa's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students.

Iowa's endowment was valued at $1.251 billion in 2022, compared to a national average of $905 million. For each full-time student, Iowa spends about $14,593 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Iowa

Tuition cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.

Iowa meets 54% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $15,034 a year.

Graduates in the class of 2022 had an average of $15,441 in student loans per borrower. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022

Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA early. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so be very wary of anyone asking you for money.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Iowa.

Based on this information, how does Iowa sound? Remember, the best school for one person may not be the right school for someone else! So ask yourself: Is Iowa a good school for you?

If The University of Iowa seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

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Where is Iowa?

Iowa is located in the small town setting of Iowa City, Iowa.

If you are interested in seeing Iowa for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 80 to Iowa City, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Eastern Iowa.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Iowa and Iowa City are like without leaving home.

Considering Colleges and Universities in Iowa?

See a full list of colleges in Iowa and save your favorites to your college list.