Public · University

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa · Small city

#3 for grad earnings in Iowa#4 graduation rate in Iowa
83.6%
Admit rate
$22,531
Avg net price
75%
Graduation rate
$64,762
Median earnings

University of Iowa is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Iowa City, Iowa (small city setting), enrolling 22,264 undergraduates.

PublicLarge · 22,264 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 84% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · Big Ten ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Iowa's admitted students.

Admit rate
83.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
1130–1330
Avg GPA
3.83

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Iowa's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Iowa's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Iowa City, Iowa

Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. Iowa City was created by an act of the Legislative Assembly of the Iowa Territory on January 21, 1839, fulfilling the desire of Governor Robert Lucas to move the capital out of Burlington and closer to the center of the territory. In the early 1970s, the Old Capitol was renovated and university administrative offices were relocated to Jessup Hall. All but one of the major rooms were restored to their appearance when Iowa City was the state capital. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
195 miles
Nearest airport
18 miles to The Eastern Iowa (CID)

How University of Iowa compares

Selectivity83.6%

More selective than 38% · #18 most selective of 28 in Iowa

SAT average1200

Higher than 59%

Graduation rate75%

Higher than 84% · #4 of 30 in Iowa

First-year retention90%

Higher than 86%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$64,762

Higher than 77% · #3 of 31 in Iowa

Average net price$22,531

Cheaper than 38% · #15 cheapest of 29 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$22,500

Lower than 56%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment22,264

Larger than 96%

Percentiles compare University of Iowa with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Iowa.

University of Iowa campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

30,305students
  • Undergraduate22,26473%
  • Graduate8,04127%

Undergraduates by gender

22,264undergrads
  • Women12,51956%
  • Men9,74544%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White74%
  • Black2.8%
  • Hispanic8.9%
  • Asian4.4%
  • Other or multiracial9.5%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
22,264
Graduate enrollment
8,041
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
22%
Students over 25
5%
Median family income
$72,993
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$116,298
Endowment
$3,505,385,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 5,064 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Iowa53%
  • Other U.S. states46%
  • International1.4%

A regional draw: about 53% of first-years come from Iowa, the rest from elsewhere.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
83.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1130–1330
SAT average
1200
SAT reading
570–670
SAT math
560–660
ACT composite
21–28
Average GPA
3.83

Cost

In-state tuition
$11,283
Out-of-state tuition
$33,371
Room & board
$12,920
Books & supplies
$950
Total cost of attendance
$28,596
Average net price
$22,531

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
75%
Graduated on time (4 years)
58%
First-year retention
90%
Transferred to another college
17%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$52,696
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$64,762
Median debt at graduation
$22,500
Students with federal loans
42%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
67%

About 16% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
58%
Low-income (Pell)
59%
First-generation
58%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
6,553
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
29%
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
Big Ten Conference
Varsity athletes
811 (361 men · 450 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (14)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)247
Football131
Rowing75
Wrestling71
Baseball46
Basketball46
Soccer43
Swimming and Diving (combined)28
Field Hockey26
Softball26
Volleyball26
Gymnastics20
Golf18
Tennis8

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
4.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
324
Property offenses (2022–2024)
94

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (30,779 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

139reported offenses a year
108 violent a year31 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
44
Fondling
36
Rape
26
Motor vehicle theft
16
Burglary
14
Robbery
2.3
Arson
2.0

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$15,316
$30–48k
$15,489
$48–75k
$19,930
$75–110k
$23,811
$110k+
$26,266

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$86,297

$19,930/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

70%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$8,745
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 70% — get grant money from University of Iowa itself, averaging $8,745, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 5,157 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$64,762
Typical debt at graduation
$22,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
35%
Out-earn a HS grad
77%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$60,894
Men
$71,375

Men out-earn women by $10,481 (17%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
86°F
Winter low
15°F
Annual rain
35.7″
Annual snow
27.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Iowa City Muni AP, IA US station (2 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of Iowa

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Iowa side by side →

Colleges near University of Iowa

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.