Public · University
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa · Small city
- 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.
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
- Nearest big city
- 23 miles to Cedar Rapids, IA
- To Great Lakes shore
- 195 miles
- Nearest airport
- 18 miles to The Eastern Iowa (CID)
How University of Iowa compares
More selective than 38% · #18 most selective of 28 in Iowa
Higher than 59%
Higher than 84% · #4 of 30 in Iowa
Higher than 86%
Higher than 77% · #3 of 31 in Iowa
Cheaper than 38% · #15 cheapest of 29 in Iowa
Lower than 56%
Lower than 28%
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
- Undergraduate22,26473%
- Graduate8,04127%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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)
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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Iowa City Muni AP, IA US station (2 mi from campus).
What University of Iowa graduates study — and earn
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 →
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa · Small city · 30 mi to Des Moines
- Students
- 25,367
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1204
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $63k
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania · Large suburb · 23 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 14,164
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $23k
- SAT
- 1187
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $61k
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey · Large suburb · 17 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 15,841
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1212
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $60k
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, Missouri · Midsize city · 1 mi to Columbia
- Students
- 23,929
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $20k
- SAT
- 1247
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $63k
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, New Hampshire · Fringe town · 28 mi to Manchester
- Students
- 11,261
- Admission
- 88%
- Net price
- $24k
- SAT
- 1218
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $66k
University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, Massachusetts · Large city · 3 mi to Boston
- Students
- 11,512
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1194
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $66k
Colleges near University of Iowa
PCI Academy-Iowa City
Iowa City, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 113 students
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, IA · Public · Associate · 7,591 students
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,086 students
Capri College-Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 129 students
Mercy-St Luke's School of Radiologic Technology
Cedar Rapids, IA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 21 students
Coe College
Cedar Rapids, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,164 students
Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,107 students
Carlson College of Massage Therapy
Anamosa, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 39 students
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.














