Iowa has 75 colleges including 37 four-year colleges, 23 community colleges, and 15 trade schools. By control type, 19 schools are public and 56 schools are private. 208,398 students enrolled in Iowa colleges according to IPEDS.

For 4-year colleges, commonly said to as colleges, there are 37 schools are active in Iowa (3 public and 34 private). 119,909 students enrolled in the schools, by gender, 55,714 men and 64,195 women students.

These colleges have an average acceptance rate of 77.76% and an average SAT score of 1,166. The average tuition & fees for in-state students is $10,669 and for out-of-state students is $27,988. The average enrollment is about 3,241 students per college. On average, each college offers about 73 programs.

6 Prominent Iowa Colleges

The following table lists major colleges in Iowa that have high enrollment, good academic reputation, and recognized by Iowa residents. It includes 2 public institutions and 4 private institutions.

Iowa Major Colleges by Region
RegionProminent Institutions
Eastern IowaUniversity of Iowa (Iowa City), Cornell College (Mount Vernon)
Central IowaDrake University (Des Moines), Grand View University (Des Moines)
Northern IowaUniversity of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls)
AmesIowa State University (Ames)

University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, is generally considered the flagship institution in Iowa. It offers wide range of programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels, including 247 graduate programs and 18 online programs. Its total enrollment is approximately 30,779 including 3,028 online students.

University of Iowa has the highest enrollment among these colleges, with a student population of 30,779 students. It offers the largest number of programs of 441.

Of the major colleges in Iowa, 2 law schools and 1 medical schools are affiliated with these colleges. University of Iowa has both a law school and a medical school. You can check the law schools and medical schools in the table below.

Notable public institutions

  • Iowa State University: Offering 399 programs; $28,881 tuition & fees; 88.66% acceptance rate; and 30,380 student population.
  • University of Iowa: Known as a Flagship College for Iowa, offering 247 graduate programs and 18 online programs

Prominent private institutions

  • Grinnell College: Most selective Iowa College, with an admission rate of 14.51% and an average SAT score of 1,490
  • Drake University: Offering offering 105 programs; $51,960 tuition & fees; 63.85% acceptance rate; and 4,345 student population.
  • Dordt University: Offering offering 125 programs; $37,050 tuition & fees; 68.47% acceptance rate; and 1,952 student population.
Comparison of Iowa Major Colleges
NameGraduate ProgramsDistance LearningTuition & FeesAdm. RateSAT ScoreEnrollOffered ProgramsLaw SchoolMedical School
Grinnell College
Grinnell
NoNo$68,19614.51%14901,78832
Iowa State University
Ames
YesYes$28,88188.66%125030,380399
University of Iowa
Iowa City
YesYes$33,37183.62%123030,779441VisitVisit
Drake University
Des Moines
YesYes$51,96063.85%13004,345105Visit
Dordt University
Sioux Center
YesYes$37,05068.47%12251,952125
Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids
YesYes$40,87882.52%1,41786