Universities in Iowa
Iowa has 34 degree-granting institutions reporting to the U.S. Department of Education — 3 public, 30 private nonprofit, together enrolling about 88,991 undergraduates (2024-25 data). Each links to a full financial-health and student-outcomes profile.
| # | Institution | Sector | Undergrads |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa State UniversityAmes · R1: Doctoral, Very High Research | Public | 25,367 |
| 2 | University of IowaIowa City · R1: Doctoral, Very High Research | Public | 22,264 |
| 3 | University of Northern IowaCedar Falls · Master's, Larger Programs | Public | 7,529 |
| 4 | Drake UniversityDes Moines · Doctoral/Professional University | Private | 2,543 |
| 5 | Upper Iowa UniversityFayette · Master's, Larger Programs | Private | 1,994 |
| 6 | Saint Ambrose UniversityDavenport · Doctoral/Professional University | Private | 1,916 |
| 7 | Waldorf UniversityForest City · Master's, Medium Programs | Private for-profit | 1,827 |
| 8 | Grinnell CollegeGrinnell · Baccalaureate: Arts & Sciences | Private | 1,729 |
| 9 | Dordt UniversitySioux Center · Master's, Small Programs | Private | 1,597 |
| 10 | Grand View UniversityDes Moines · Master's, Small Programs | Private | 1,486 |
| 11 | Wartburg CollegeWaverly · Baccalaureate: Arts & Sciences | Private | 1,452 |
| 12 | University of DubuqueDubuque · Master's, Medium Programs | Private | 1,440 |
| 13 | Luther CollegeDecorah · Baccalaureate: Arts & Sciences | Private | 1,379 |
| 14 | Buena Vista UniversityStorm Lake · Master's, Medium Programs | Private | 1,366 |
| 15 | William Penn UniversityOskaloosa · Baccalaureate: Diverse Fields | Private | 1,301 |
| 16 | Simpson CollegeIndianola · Baccalaureate: Diverse Fields | Private | 1,227 |
| 17 | Northwestern CollegeOrange City · Master's, Medium Programs | Private | 1,175 |
| 18 | Coe CollegeCedar Rapids · Baccalaureate: Arts & Sciences | Private | 1,164 |
| 19 | Morningside UniversitySioux City · Master's, Larger Programs | Private | 1,163 |
| 20 | Mount Mercy UniversityCedar Rapids · Master's, Medium Programs | Private | 1,107 |
| 21 | Cornell CollegeMount Vernon · Baccalaureate: Arts & Sciences | Private | 1,086 |
| 22 | Loras CollegeDubuque · Baccalaureate: Diverse Fields | Private | 1,083 |
| 23 | Central CollegePella · Baccalaureate: Arts & Sciences | Private | 1,070 |
| 24 | Maharishi International UniversityFairfield · Master's, Larger Programs | Private | 922 |
| 25 | Mercy College of Health SciencesDes Moines · Special Focus: Medical Schools/Centers | Private | 867 |
| 26 | Graceland University-LamoniLamoni · Master's, Larger Programs | Private | 798 |
| 27 | Clarke UniversityDubuque · Doctoral/Professional University | Private | 742 |
| 28 | Briar Cliff UniversitySioux City · Doctoral/Professional University | Private | 624 |
| 29 | Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological SeminaryAnkeny · Baccalaureate: Diverse Fields | Private | 405 |
| 30 | Allen CollegeWaterloo · Special Focus: Medical Schools/Centers | Private | 261 |
| 31 | Divine Word CollegeEpworth · Baccalaureate: Arts & Sciences | Private | 64 |
| 32 | Palmer College of ChiropracticDavenport · Special Focus: Medical Schools/Centers | Private | 43 |
| 33 | Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical CenterWest Des Moines · Special Focus: Faith-Related | Private | — |
| 34 | Wartburg Theological SeminaryDubuque · Baccalaureate/Associate's: Assoc. Dominant | Private | — |
A directory, not a ranking — listed by undergraduate enrollment. Counts and figures come from the most recent College Scorecard & IPEDS release (2024-25), which lags the current academic year by 2–3 years. Open each institution’s profile for financial health, outcomes and peer benchmarks.
Filter Iowa schools by sector, size & type
Open the dashboard to narrow by Carnegie class, size, HBCU status, or compare schools head-to-head.
Source: U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard & IPEDS (most recent release, 2024-25). Compiled by Ibex Insights. See the methodology.