Best Iowa Colleges

Grinnell College

• Private 4 Year
• Grinnell, IA
• 5.0 | 1 reviews

• Jan 15 application deadline

Grinnell is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for an open curriculum and undergraduate work in the sciences and social sciences. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in the small town of Grinnell.

• SAT Range 1410-1540
• Predicted Avg GPA 3.89
• Acceptance Rate 15%
• Net Price $34,363

Drake University

• Private 4 Year
• Des Moines, IA
• 5.0 | 2 reviews

Drake is a private university known for undergraduate journalism, pharmacy, and business. The campus sits in a residential neighborhood near downtown Des Moines.

• SAT Range 1110-1350
• Avg GPA 3.7
• Acceptance Rate 64%
• Net Price $29,565

University of Iowa

• Public 4 Year
• Iowa City, IA
• 3.0 | 3 reviews

• May 1 application deadline

Iowa is a large public university known for undergraduate creative writing and journalism. The campus sits in the college town of Iowa City along the Iowa River.

• SAT Range 1130-1330
• Avg GPA 3.81
• Acceptance Rate 84%
• Net Price $21,765

Luther College

• Private 4 Year
• Decorah, IA
• | 0 reviews

Luther is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music and the sciences. The residential campus sits among the bluffs of Decorah in northeast Iowa.

• SAT Range 1078-1406
• Avg GPA 3.65
• Acceptance Rate 72%
• Net Price $24,511

Iowa State University

• Public 4 Year
• Ames, IA
• 4.0 | 4 reviews

Iowa State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and design. Ames is a college town built around the campus.

• SAT Range 1120-1360
• Avg GPA 3.7
• Acceptance Rate 89%
• Net Price $17,779

Coe College

• Private 4 Year
• Cedar Rapids, IA
• | 0 reviews

• Mar 1 application deadline

Coe is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate writing, biology, and business. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Cedar Rapids.

• SAT Range 1070-1290
• Avg GPA 3.74
• Acceptance Rate 64%
• Net Price $20,864

Dordt University

• Private 4 Year
• Sioux Center, IA
• | 0 reviews

Dordt is a private Christian university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and education. The residential campus sits in the small town of Sioux Center in northwest Iowa.

• SAT Range 1070-1330
• Avg GPA 3.65
• Acceptance Rate 68%
• Net Price $28,486

Simpson College

• Private 4 Year
• Indianola, IA
• 2.0 | 1 reviews

• Aug 15 application deadline

Simpson is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music, business, and education. The residential campus is in the small college town of Indianola near Des Moines.

• SAT Range 890-1280
• Avg GPA 3.62
• Acceptance Rate 86%
• Net Price $23,282

Saint Ambrose University

• Private 4 Year
• Davenport, IA
• | 0 reviews

Saint Ambrose is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The residential campus sits in the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River.

• SAT Range 930-1170
• Avg GPA 3.39
• Acceptance Rate 77%
• Net Price $25,345

University of Northern Iowa

• Public 4 Year
• Cedar Falls, IA
• 3.5 | 4 reviews

UNI is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Cedar Falls.

• SAT Range 1020-1280
• Avg GPA 3.61
• Acceptance Rate 93%
• Net Price $16,437

Cornell College

• Private 4 Year
• Mount Vernon, IA
• | 0 reviews

Cornell College is a private liberal arts college known for its One Course At A Time calendar of intensive undergraduate courses. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Mount Vernon.

• SAT Range 1120-1285
• Avg GPA 3.53
• Acceptance Rate 80%
• Net Price $25,220

Central College

• Private 4 Year
• Pella, IA
• | 0 reviews

Central is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, education, and study abroad. Most undergrads live on a residential campus in the small college town of Pella.

• SAT Range 1056-1120
• Avg GPA 3.52
• Acceptance Rate 86%
• Net Price $23,848

Wartburg College

• Private 4 Year
• Waverly, IA
• | 0 reviews

Wartburg is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music, education, and biology. Most students live on the residential campus in the small Iowa town of Waverly, with long ties to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

• SAT Range 930-1200
• Avg GPA 3.48
• Acceptance Rate 76%
• Net Price $24,031

Graceland University Lamoni

• Private 4 Year
• Lamoni, IA
• | 0 reviews

Graceland is a private university known for undergraduate nursing and education. Most students live on the residential campus in the small college town of Lamoni.

• SAT Range 880-1120
• Avg GPA 3.22
• Acceptance Rate 81%
• Net Price $19,574

Northwestern College

• Private 4 Year
• Orange City, IA
• 4.0 | 2 reviews

Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and nursing. The campus sits in the small town of Orange City in northwest Iowa.

• SAT Range 940-1240
• Avg GPA 3.57
• Acceptance Rate 80%
• Net Price $26,347

University of Dubuque

• Private 4 Year
• Dubuque, IA
• | 0 reviews

University of Dubuque is a private Presbyterian university known for undergraduate aviation and nursing. Most students live on the residential campus near the Mississippi River.

• SAT Range 980-1220
• Avg GPA 3.24
• Acceptance Rate 89%
• Net Price $26,067

Buena Vista University

• Private 4 Year
• Storm Lake, IA
• | 0 reviews

Buena Vista is a private university known for undergraduate education and business. The residential campus sits beside Storm Lake in northwest Iowa.

• SAT Range 930-1130
• Avg GPA 3.49
• Acceptance Rate 78%
• Net Price $19,704

Grand View University

• Private 4 Year
• Des Moines, IA
• | 0 reviews

• Aug 15 application deadline

Grand View is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The urban campus sits in Des Moines, Iowa's capital city.

• SAT Range 920-1080
• Avg GPA 3.3
• Acceptance Rate 99%
• Net Price $22,319