Top Rated Iowa Public Colleges

The Best Public Colleges in Iowa for 2025

These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in Iowa as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2025 as the best public college in Iowa is University of Iowa. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
Iowa Public 4 year

3 results

University of Iowa
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I
Iowa City, IA

University of Iowa

Public 4 Year

3 reviews

#1 Best Public Universities in Iowa

  • 30,042enrollment
  • $20,121net price
  • 85%acceptance rate
  • 1130-1320SAT range
  • 22-28ACT range
  • 3.81Avg GPA

Applications Due May 1

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Iowa State University
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I
Ames, IA

Iowa State University

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

#2 Best Public Universities in Iowa

  • 30,177enrollment
  • $17,354net price
  • 89%acceptance rate
  • 1110-1350SAT range
  • 21-28ACT range
  • 3.7Avg GPA

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University of Northern Iowa
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N
Cedar Falls, IA

University of Northern Iowa

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

#3 Best Public Universities in Iowa

  • 9,013enrollment
  • $15,931net price
  • 94%acceptance rate
  • 860-1210SAT range
  • 20-26ACT range
  • 3.61Avg GPA

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