Largest Iowa Private Colleges

In Iowa, there are a total of 208,398 students enrolled in higher education institutions. Of these, 157,056 attend public colleges and universities, while 51,342 are enrolled in private institutions. This comprehensive overview highlights the scale and diversity of college enrollment in Iowa, helping prospective students and families understand their options among the largest educational institutions.

Explore Largest Iowa Private Colleges with the Most Students, where 4,345 students are enrolled at Drake University, making it the largest institution in terms of enrollment.

Following closely, Saint Ambrose University ranks second with 2,498 students, while Palmer College of Chiropractic holds the third spot at 2,161. These institutions set the benchmark for large-scale education.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $35,196 and graduate tuition & fees is $13,320 for the academic year 2024-2025.

At these High Enrollment Iowa Private Colleges, the average acceptance rate is 78.08%, and the average SAT score is 1,139, making them not only cost-effective but also accessible options for a wide range of students.

Our analysis includes colleges with at least 1,000 total enrollments and excludes online universities to provide a balanced overview. For a comprehensive list of online universities, visit the largest Iowa private online colleges.

Comparison between Largest Iowa Private Colleges With The Most Students

Table. Largest Iowa Private Colleges With The Most Students Comparison
School NameTotal PopulationUndergraduateGraduateMenWomenOnline Enrollment
1
-
Drake University Des Moines, IAPrivate, 4-year 4,345
159
2,585
(59.49%)
1,760
(40.51%)
1,630
(37.51%)
2,715
(62.49%)
546
(12.57%)
2
-
Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IAPrivate, 4-year 2,498
205
1,939
(77.62%)
559
(22.38%)
1,073
(42.95%)
1,425
(57.05%)
225
(9.01%)
3
-
Palmer College of Chiropractic Davenport, IAPrivate, 4-year 2,161
58
47
(2.17%)
2,114
(97.83%)
1,170
(54.14%)
991
(45.86%)
6
(0.28%)
4
-
Morningside University Sioux City, IAPrivate, 4-year 2,056
102
1,172
(57.00%)
884
(43.00%)
727
(35.36%)
1,329
(64.64%)
926
(45.04%)
5
-
Dordt University Sioux Center, IAPrivate, 4-year 1,952
23
1,716
(87.91%)
236
(12.09%)
909
(46.57%)
1,043
(53.43%)
342
(17.52%)
6
-
Grand View University Des Moines, IAPrivate, 4-year 1,856
60
1,500
(80.82%)
356
(19.18%)
779
(41.97%)
1,077
(58.03%)
279
(15.03%)
7
-
University of Dubuque Dubuque, IAPrivate, 4-year 1,757
38
1,440
(81.96%)
317
(18.04%)
1,020
(58.05%)
737
(41.95%)
98
(5.58%)
8
-
Northwestern College Orange City, IAPrivate, 4-year 1,705
40
1,184
(69.44%)
521
(30.56%)
680
(39.88%)
1,025
(60.12%)
583
(34.19%)
9
1
Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center West Des Moines, IAPrivate, 4-year 1,534
13
-
(-0.07%)
1,534
(100.00%)
665
(43.35%)
869
(56.65%)
76
(4.95%)
10
1
Wartburg College Waverly, IAPrivate, 4-year 1,483
11
1,462
(98.58%)
21
(1.42%)
819
(55.23%)
664
(44.77%)
22
(1.48%)
Average2,1351,449
(67.90%)
830
(38.89%)
947
(44.37%)
1,188
(55.63%)
310
(14.54%)