Colleges & Universities in Iowa
All 68 accredited institutions in Iowa, ranked by composite score — a data-driven blend of selectivity, graduation rate, and affordability. Filter by type, sort by any metric, or search by name.
About Colleges & Universities in Iowa
Iowa is home to 68 accredited postsecondary institutions, spanning 37 four-year colleges and universities and 31 two-year community and technical colleges. Of these, 19 are publicly funded, offering subsidized in-state tuition for Iowa residents. Our composite scores combine acceptance rate, six-year graduation rate, net price for lower-income students, and enrollment to produce a single 0–100 quality signal for each institution. The average composite score across Iowa colleges is 52 out of 100.
The average acceptance rate across Iowa colleges with available data is 77%, compared to the national median of around 65%. Selectivity varies enormously — from highly competitive research universities that admit fewer than 15% of applicants to open-enrollment community colleges that welcome all students. Use the "Acceptance Rate" sort to find the most and least selective options.
When choosing a college in Iowa, look beyond the sticker price. The net price for families earning under $30,000 per year is often far lower than published tuition after grants and scholarships are applied. Sort by "Most Affordable" to surface institutions where lower-income students pay the least out of pocket. You can also compare colleges in Iowa side by side to evaluate fit across every dimension.