Iowa City, Iowa · ★ 3.0 / 5 Overall (2 Student Reviews)
Billwhittaker (talk) at en.wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Public · 4-year · Doctoral
The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 colleges offering more than 200 areas of study and 7 professional degrees. On an urban 1,880-acre campus on the banks of the Iowa River, the University of Iowa is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". In fiscal year 2021, research expenditures at Iowa totaled $818 million. The university was the original developer of the Master of Fine Arts degree, and it operates the Iowa Writers' Workshop, whose alumni include 17 of the university's 46 Pulitzer Prize winners. Iowa is a member of the Association of American Universities and the Universities Research Association. Among public universities in the United States, UI was the first to become coeducational and host a department of religious studies; it also opened the first coeducational medical school. The University of Iowa's 32,000 students take part in nearly 500 student organizations. Iowa's 22 varsity athletic teams, the Iowa Hawkeyes, compete in Division I of the NCAA and are members of the Big Ten Conference. The University of Iowa alumni network exceeds 250,000 graduates.
Unfiltered student reviews about the real
experience at this University
Loading...
101 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242-1316
Visit University SiteRanked #165 globally by CWUR (2026). Source: CWUR World ↗
National rank
Ranked #256 in Forbes Top Colleges (2026). Source: Forbes ↗
World rank
Ranked #301 globally in Times Higher Education (2026). Source: THE World ↗
Value rank
Ranked #429 on Washington Monthly Best Bang for the Buck. Source: WM Best Value ↗
25th–75th percentile
SAT total: 1130–1320
SAT ERW: 570–660
SAT math: 560–660
ACT composite: 22–28
Total: 30,042
Undergrad: 22,130
Undergrad full-time: 20,622
Graduate: 7,912
Part-time: 4,440
In-state
Tuition: $10,964
Total cost on campus: $28,596
Out-of-state
Tuition: $32,927
Total cost on campus: $50,559
Room & board: $12,616
Books & supplies: $950
Receive aid: 88%
Avg grant aid: $9,512
Pell grant recipients: 16%
Rent: $635 / mo
Average city asking rent, as a roommate share. Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Coffee: $4.75
State average cafe price. Numbeo, 2024.
Gas: $4.26 / gal
State average price. AAA.