US CollegesColleges in Iowa: cost, admission and results
45 degree-granting colleges and universities in Iowa, with the admission rate, net price, graduation rate and earnings of each. The largest are Iowa State University (25,367 undergraduates), University of Iowa (22,264 undergraduates), Kirkwood Community College (7,591 undergraduates).
Iowa at a glance
- Colleges on this site
- 45
- Public / private nonprofit / for-profit
- 13 / 32 / 0
- Median in-state tuition and fees
- $24,460
- Median net price a year
- $21,412
- Median admission rate
- 80%
- Median graduation rate
- 54%
- Median earnings 10 years on
- $57,656
No college in this list matches.
| College | Admission rate | Net price a year | Graduation rate | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen CollegeWaterloo, IA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | $74,338 |
| Briar Cliff UniversitySioux City, IA · Private nonprofit | not reported | $27,472 | 46% | $59,643 |
| Buena Vista UniversityStorm Lake, IA · Private nonprofit | 78% | $18,855 | 58% | $51,626 |
| Central CollegePella, IA · Private nonprofit | 86% | $22,894 | 59% | $57,387 |
| Clarke UniversityDubuque, IA · Private nonprofit | 72% | $26,095 | 52% | $58,625 |
| Coe CollegeCedar Rapids, IA · Private nonprofit | 64% | $18,647 | 60% | $60,502 |
| Cornell CollegeMount Vernon, IA · Private nonprofit | 80% | $25,297 | 60% | $57,224 |
| Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical CenterWest Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Divine Word CollegeEpworth, IA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dordt UniversitySioux Center, IA · Private nonprofit | 68% | $25,944 | 72% | $57,576 |
| Drake UniversityDes Moines, IA · Private nonprofit | 64% | $29,415 | 71% | $78,855 |
| Ellsworth Community CollegeIowa Falls, IA · Public | not reported | $12,300 | 43% | $43,267 |
| Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological SeminaryAnkeny, IA · Private nonprofit | 68% | $16,517 | 56% | $41,000 |
| Graceland University-LamoniLamoni, IA · Private nonprofit | 81% | $19,899 | 44% | $53,979 |
| Grand View UniversityDes Moines, IA · Private nonprofit | 99% | $21,705 | 49% | $58,718 |
| Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA · Private nonprofit | 15% | $15,203 | 86% | $72,106 |
| Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo, IA · Public | not reported | $15,128 | 50% | $47,058 |
| Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa, IA · Public | not reported | $11,505 | 41% | $45,714 |
| Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge, IA · Public | not reported | $12,725 | 41% | $46,039 |
| Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville, IA · Public | not reported | $10,553 | 46% | $47,167 |
| Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA · Public | 89% | $18,517 | 77% | $67,568 |
| Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs, IA · Public | not reported | $16,324 | 44% | $46,335 |
| Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids, IA · Public | not reported | $12,073 | 47% | $45,413 |
| Loras CollegeDubuque, IA · Private nonprofit | 100% | $22,910 | 64% | $63,900 |
| Luther CollegeDecorah, IA · Private nonprofit | 72% | $23,945 | 65% | $61,821 |
| Maharishi International UniversityFairfield, IA · Private nonprofit | 96% | $16,579 | 27% | $38,786 |
| Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltown, IA · Public | not reported | $7,234 | 38% | $43,170 |
| Mercy College of Health SciencesDes Moines, IA · Private nonprofit | 100% | $25,670 | 55% | $63,983 |
| Morningside UniversitySioux City, IA · Private nonprofit | 71% | $23,505 | 52% | $58,902 |
| Mount Mercy UniversityCedar Rapids, IA · Private nonprofit | 83% | $23,935 | 52% | $59,669 |
| Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar, IA · Public | not reported | $11,757 | 55% | $48,267 |
| Northwest Iowa Community CollegeSheldon, IA · Public | not reported | $12,665 | 62% | $56,288 |
| Northwestern CollegeOrange City, IA · Private nonprofit | 80% | $24,716 | 66% | $57,028 |
| Palmer College of ChiropracticDavenport, IA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | $57,383 |
| Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport, IA · Private nonprofit | 77% | $23,689 | 70% | $66,659 |
| Simpson CollegeIndianola, IA · Private nonprofit | 86% | $20,460 | 63% | $57,816 |
| St Luke's CollegeSioux City, IA · Private nonprofit | 80% | $31,618 | 25% | $64,099 |
| University of DubuqueDubuque, IA · Private nonprofit | 89% | $25,171 | 45% | $60,869 |
| University of IowaIowa City, IA · Public | 84% | $22,508 | 76% | $70,727 |
| University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA · Public | 93% | $16,038 | 69% | $57,187 |
| Upper Iowa UniversityFayette, IA · Private nonprofit | 96% | $21,119 | 31% | $57,736 |
| Waldorf UniversityForest City, IA · Private nonprofit | 77% | $24,003 | 43% | $58,667 |
| Wartburg CollegeWaverly, IA · Private nonprofit | 76% | $23,374 | 68% | $60,035 |
| Wartburg Theological SeminaryDubuque, IA · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| William Penn UniversityOskaloosa, IA · Private nonprofit | 52% | $23,749 | 38% | $52,106 |
"Not reported" means the Department of Education has no figure, often because the college is small, new, or does not take first-time students. Medians are the middle value of the colleges listed here.
The colleges of Iowa in brief
Of the 45 colleges listed for Iowa, 13 are public and 32 are private nonprofit. By level, 32 mainly award bachelor's degrees, 11 mainly award two-year associate degrees and 2 mainly award graduate degrees. Together they teach about 111,678 undergraduates, 70% of them at public colleges. The three largest, Iowa State University, University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College, hold 49% of the total, and the middle-sized college has 1,227 undergraduates. The towns with the most colleges are Dubuque (4), Sioux City (3) and Cedar Rapids (3).
What college costs in Iowa
At the public colleges, the median published tuition and fees are $7,050 a year for students from Iowa and $8,096 for students from elsewhere. At the private nonprofit colleges the median is $38,236. Published prices are not what most families pay. Counting colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the lowest average net price after grants is at Marshalltown Community College ($7,234) and Iowa Lakes Community College ($10,553) and the highest at Drake University ($29,415) and Briar Cliff University ($27,472). The median net price across the state, $21,412, is 23% above the national median of $17,357.
Getting in
29 of the 45 colleges report an admission rate. The hardest to get into are Grinnell College (15% admitted), William Penn University (52% admitted) and Drake University (64% admitted). 23 of them admit at least seven applicants in ten. 12 colleges have an open admission policy and report no rate: they do not turn applicants away on grades or test scores.
Finishing and earning
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the highest share of students finishing their course is at Grinnell College (86%), Iowa State University (77%) and University of Iowa (76%). The median graduation rate of the state's colleges is 54%, against 49% for the country. Ten years after starting, former students with federal aid earn the most at Drake University ($78,855), Grinnell College ($72,106) and University of Iowa ($70,727). The state median for that measure is $57,656, 9% above the national $53,132. Students who finish leave with a median federal loan debt of $21,381 (national median $19,994). Earnings follow the subjects a college teaches as much as its quality, so compare like with like.
Questions about colleges in Iowa
How many colleges are there in Iowa?
This site lists 45 open, degree-granting colleges and universities in Iowa, out of 3,161 on the whole site. Schools that mainly give short certificates are not counted.
What is the largest college in Iowa?
Iowa State University in Ames, with about 25,367 undergraduate students.
Which college in Iowa has the lowest net price?
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, Marshalltown Community College: students with federal aid paid an average of $7,234 a year after grants. Students from other states or countries usually pay more.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.