There are 75 colleges in Iowa - 19 public and 56 private schools. The 2025 average undergraduate tuition of the Iowa colleges is $10,669 for state residents and $32,734 for out-of-state students.
42 Iowa cities have at least one college and, of them, Davenport has the most of 7 colleges. It has 3 four-year colleges and 2 community colleges with a total of 12,430 students. Dubuque and Cedar Rapids also has a number of colleges of 6 and 5 colleges respectively.
The following table shows the Iowa colleges by city. The 2025 tuition & fees based on 4-year colleges' cost.
| City | Number of Schools | Under-graduate Tuition | Graduate Tuition | Population | Students to Faculty | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 4-year | Community Colleges | Trade Schools | Total | Under. | Graduate | ||||
| Davenport | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | $21,339 | $13,511 | 12,430 | 9,757 | 2,673 | 17 to 1 |
| Dubuque | 6 | 5 | - | 1 | $35,907 | $14,239 | 4,468 | 3,777 | 691 | 9 to 1 |
| Cedar Rapids | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | $47,772 | $8,202 | 15,525 | 15,247 | 278 | 13 to 1 |
| Sioux City | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | $32,832 | $10,627 | 8,728 | 7,663 | 1,065 | 11 to 1 |
| Des Moines | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | $34,795 | $9,778 | 7,160 | 5,042 | 2,118 | 10 to 1 |
| Cedar Falls | 3 | 1 | - | 2 | $21,712 ($9,936) |
$23,304 ($11,602) |
9,423 | 7,856 | 1,567 | 20 to 1 |
| Waterloo | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | $24,787 | $19,314 | 5,603 | 5,381 | 222 | 11 to 1 |
| Council Bluffs | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 5,606 | 5,606 | - | 17 to 1 |
| West Des Moines | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | - | $32,060 | 1,778 | 244 | 1,534 | 8 to 1 |
| Mason City | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2,718 | 2,718 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Fort Dodge | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4,971 | 4,971 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Ames | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | $28,881 ($10,787) |
$30,577 ($12,967) |
30,556 | 25,804 | 4,752 | 17 to 1 |
| Iowa City | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | $33,371 ($11,283) |
$32,372 ($13,425) |
30,892 | 22,851 | 8,041 | 16 to 1 |
| Ankeny | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | $20,270 | $7,940 | 24,308 | 24,248 | 60 | 18 to 1 |
| Ottumwa | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3,184 | 3,184 | - | 16 to 1 |
| Indianola | 1 | 1 | - | - | $47,656 | $9,204 | 1,251 | 1,235 | 16 | 12 to 1 |
| Sioux Center | 1 | 1 | - | - | $37,050 | $10,990 | 1,952 | 1,716 | 236 | 14 to 1 |
| Decorah | 1 | 1 | - | - | $52,120 | - | 1,384 | 1,384 | - | 9 to 1 |
| Urbandale | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 45 | 45 | - | 10 to 1 |
| Storm Lake | 1 | 1 | - | - | $41,798 | $9,061 | 1,890 | 1,436 | 454 | 13 to 1 |
| Estherville | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,945 | 1,945 | - | 13 to 1 |
| Creston | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,566 | 1,566 | - | 14 to 1 |
| Iowa Falls | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 685 | 685 | - | 16 to 1 |
| Marshalltown | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,857 | 1,857 | - | 20 to 1 |
| Forest City | 1 | 1 | - | - | $25,978 | $5,340 | 2,225 | 1,834 | 391 | 22 to 1 |
| Lamoni | 1 | 1 | - | - | $19,848 | $11,991 | 1,102 | 798 | 304 | 12 to 1 |
| Calmar | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 4,808 | 4,808 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Mount Vernon | 1 | 1 | - | - | $52,660 | $2,800 | 1,094 | 1,094 | 2 | 14 to 1 |
| Oskaloosa | 1 | 1 | - | - | $29,750 | $10,500 | 1,425 | 1,348 | 77 | 15 to 1 |
| Mt. Pleasant | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 25 | 25 | - | 13 to 1 |
| Epworth | 1 | 1 | - | - | $15,600 | - | 64 | 64 | - | 5 to 1 |
| Anamosa | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 39 | 39 | - | 5 to 1 |
| West Burlington | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3,028 | 3,028 | - | 14 to 1 |
| Fairfield | 1 | 1 | - | - | $16,530 | $16,530 | 2,592 | 922 | 1,670 | 13 to 1 |
| Fayette | 1 | 1 | - | - | $19,475 | $20,185 | 3,941 | 3,054 | 887 | 25 to 1 |
| Orange City | 1 | 1 | - | - | $36,710 | $6,790 | 1,705 | 1,184 | 521 | 15 to 1 |
| Pella | 1 | 1 | - | - | $20,988 | - | 1,084 | 1,084 | - | 11 to 1 |
| Waverly | 1 | 1 | - | - | $26,250 | $12,000 | 1,483 | 1,462 | 21 | 13 to 1 |
| Grinnell | 1 | 1 | - | - | $68,196 | - | 1,788 | 1,788 | - | 9 to 1 |
| Sheldon | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,907 | 1,907 | - | 16 to 1 |
| Johnston | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 141 | 141 | - | 28 to 1 |
| Spirit Lake | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 22 | 22 | - | 7 to 1 |