University of Iowa
Iowa's oldest university, home of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, a major academic medical center and Big Ten Hawkeyes.
- Acceptance rate
- 80%
- Fall 2025 entering class (Common Data Set 2025-26); applying now for fall 2027
- Students
- 31,563
- 23,407 undergraduates
- International
- 1%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 17:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $35,442
- From · 2026-27
About Iowa
The University of Iowa was founded on February 25, 1847, 59 days after Iowa became a state, and began teaching in 1855; its original campus was the Old Capitol, the former state capitol that still anchors the Pentacrest. It is the state's oldest university and an AAU member, with 31,563 students in fall 2025: 23,407 undergraduates and 8,156 graduate and professional students on a campus that straddles the Iowa River in Iowa City.
First-year students enter the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Tippie College of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health or the College of Education, and the university also has colleges of law, medicine (Carver College of Medicine), dentistry and pharmacy alongside University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Iowa developed the Master of Fine Arts degree, runs the Iowa Writers' Workshop, founded in 1936, and was the first US public university to admit men and women on an equal basis.
Admission is broad: 25,131 of 31,454 first-year applicants were admitted for fall 2025, based largely on grades, rigor and the Regent Admission Index, with a no-harm test policy. Iowa suits students who want a large Big Ten research university with standout writing, health sciences and nursing, inside a lively college town.
Why students choose Iowa
Writing is a signature strength: the Iowa Writers' Workshop has produced many Pulitzer Prize winners, and US News ranks Iowa No. 1 among public universities for Writing in the Disciplines, per the university.
Health sciences are on campus: the colleges of medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and public health sit beside University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and the university says its nursing program ranks No. 5 among public universities.
A no-harm test policy means SAT or ACT scores are used only if they help your admission or scholarship chances.
The University of Iowa Honors Program is based in the Blank Honors Center, with its own library and study spaces, and honors students can live in Daum Hall.
Admissions
Fall 2025 entering class (Common Data Set 2025-26); applying now for fall 2027
25,131 admitted from 31,454 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
For fall 2025, 25,131 of 31,454 first-year applicants were admitted and 5,561 enrolled (in-state 4,984 of 5,892 admitted; out-of-state 19,510 of 24,060; international 637 of 1,502). Admission to Liberal Arts and Sciences uses the Regent Admission Index; other colleges have their own requirements.
Typical entry requirements
| Regent Admission Index (RAI) | (ACT composite or SAT equivalent x 3) + (GPA x 30) + (years of core courses x 5); used for Liberal Arts and Sciences and as one criterion for Engineering, Public Health and Education |
|---|---|
| Minimum high school courses | At least 15 college-prep courses: 4 years English, 3 math (algebra I and II, geometry), 3 science, 3 social studies, 2 years of one world language; Engineering needs a 4th year of math |
| International applicants | Transcripts reviewed holistically against country-specific requirements; SAT/ACT only needed for English proficiency or scholarships |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 80 TOEFL iBT 80 with all subscores 17 or higher (4.0 with all subscores 3.5 or higher on the scale used from January 2026); IELTS 6.5 with all bands 6.0 or higher. Students below TOEFL 100 or with lower subscores take ESL courses unless they test out on the English Proficiency Exam on arrival. |
Deadlines
- Early Action Non-binding Next deadline · In 27 daysNovember 2, 2026
Documents due November 9; decisions on or before late January.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~4 monthsFebruary 1, 2027
Documents due February 8; decisions by early March. Applicants after February 1 are not eligible for merit scholarships and are admitted case by case, space permitting.
- Fall acceptance deadline Non-binding In ~7 monthsMay 3, 2027
Deadline for admitted students to accept for summer session or fall semester.
Dates are from Iowa's first-year admissions and testing pages; the testing page explicitly refers to the fall 2027 cycle (scholarship score deadline February 8, 2027). Decisions are made on a rolling basis starting in August. There is no Early Decision.
How to apply
University of Iowa application or the Common App (fall only); self-reported or official ACT/SAT optional; transcripts; $55 fee ($80 for international applicants, waivers available for domestic students). Admission decisions are rolling and based on college-specific requirements; no essays are required for general admission.
What admissions looks for
- Rigor of the secondary school record and academic GPA, both rated very important in the Common Data Set.
- Completion of the required core courses; any missing course triggers individual review even with an admissible RAI.
- Test scores, rated very important when submitted but used only if they help.
- Character, personal qualities and talent are considered; essays, interviews and extracurriculars are not.
Tips for applying to Iowa
- 1 Apply by the November 2 Early Action deadline: you get a decision by late January and full merit scholarship consideration.
- 2 Don't miss February 1: later applicants are not considered for merit scholarships at all.
- 3 Send a test score if yours is around 26 ACT / 1230 SAT or higher; Iowa reviews you with and without it and gives the better scholarship offer.
- 4 Check the college-specific requirements: Engineering wants a fourth year of math (pre-calculus recommended) and Nursing has its own world language and science rules.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for University of Iowa
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
All admitted first-years who apply by February 1 are considered for Office of Admissions merit scholarships, which do not stack (you receive the highest one). Need-based grants and loans come through the Office of Student Financial Aid via the FAFSA. In 2024-25 Iowa met 53% of need on average for first-year aid recipients.
- $31,845 Iowa residents; $54,121 nonresidents
- Cost of attendance 2026-27, on campus (Liberal Arts and Sciences)
- $53,042 including health insurance
- International student budget 2026-27 (Liberal Arts and Sciences)
- 53%
- Average need met, first-year aid recipients (2024-25)
- $14,098
- Average first-year financial aid package (2024-25)
- $64,762
- Median earnings 10 years after entry (College Scorecard)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Creative Writing and English
Home of the Iowa Writers' Workshop (founded 1936), whose alumni include Flannery O'Connor and John Irving; Iowa developed the MFA degree.
Nursing
Ranked No. 5 among public universities for nursing, per the university; direct-admission program with its own science and language requirements.
Tippie College of Business
Admits first-year students directly, with 2026-27 resident tuition and fees of $15,382.
Public Health
An undergraduate-admitting college located on the health sciences side of campus beside the university hospitals.
Engineering
Requires a fourth year of high school math and is home to IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering.
Research
- Member of the Association of American Universities; research expenditures totalled $818 million in fiscal 2021.
- Physicist James Van Allen, who earned his MS and PhD at Iowa, discovered the radiation belts that bear his name.
- IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering (the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research) is a centre for hydraulic engineering research.
- University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has been ranked among the best US academic hospitals for 36 consecutive years, according to the university.
Schools & faculties
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Tippie College of Business
- College of Engineering
- College of Nursing
- College of Public Health
- College of Education
- College of Pharmacy
- Carver College of Medicine
- College of Dentistry
- College of Law
College Scorecard reports median earnings of $64,762 for Iowa students 10 years after entry.
Student life
Campus life centres on the Pentacrest and the Old Capitol, with the Iowa River running through the middle of campus in Iowa City. University Housing and Dining runs eleven air-conditioned residence halls, including Catlett Hall with views over the river and Daum Hall for the honors community. Students choose from nearly 500 student organizations, and the Hawkeyes compete in the Big Ten, where men's wrestling has won 24 NCAA titles, 15 of them under coach Dan Gable.
- Iowa Hawkeyes: 22 varsity teams in NCAA Division I's Big Ten Conference.
- Men's wrestling has won 24 of the university's 26 NCAA championships.
- Nearly 500 student organizations.
- Museums on campus include the Stanley Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History and the Old Capitol Museum.
Housing. University Housing and Dining offers eleven residence halls; on-campus housing and food is budgeted at $14,022 for 2026-27.
Location
Iowa City is a college town in eastern Iowa built around the university, whose campus spreads along both banks of the Iowa River, with residence halls and the Iowa Memorial Union on the east side and the health sciences colleges and hospitals on the west. Living costs are moderate: the university budgets $14,022 a year for on-campus housing and food.
Nearest airport: The Eastern Iowa Airport, Cedar Rapids (CID)
Notable alumni
- GG George GallupFounder of the Gallup Poll; BA, MA and PhD from Iowa
- TW Tennessee WilliamsPlaywright of A Streetcar Named Desire; BA 1938
- FO Flannery O'ConnorNovelist and short-story writer; MFA 1947
- JI John IrvingNovelist, The World According to Garp; MFA 1967
- GW Gene WilderFilm and television actor; BA 1955
- JV James Van AllenPhysicist who discovered the Van Allen radiation belts; MS and PhD
- AB Albert BanduraPsychologist who originated social cognitive theory; MA and PhD
- CC Caitlin ClarkBasketball star who played for the Hawkeyes
Frequently asked questions
What is the University of Iowa's acceptance rate?
For fall 2025, Iowa admitted 25,131 of 31,454 first-year applicants, about 80%.
Is the University of Iowa test-optional?
Yes. Iowa has a no-harm test policy: SAT or ACT scores are used only if they help your admission or scholarship review. Enrolled fall 2025 first-years had a middle-50% ACT of 21-28 and SAT of 1130-1320.
When is the University of Iowa Early Action deadline?
November 2, 2026, with documents due November 9 and decisions by late January. Regular Decision closes February 1, 2027; apply by then to be considered for merit scholarships.
What GPA do you need for the University of Iowa?
The average high school GPA of fall 2025 first-years was 3.86. Admission to Liberal Arts and Sciences uses the Regent Admission Index, which combines GPA, test score (if any) and the number of core courses.
How much does the University of Iowa cost?
For 2026-27, tuition and fees in Liberal Arts and Sciences are $11,971 for Iowa residents, $34,247 for US nonresidents and $35,442 for international students; the on-campus cost of attendance is about $31,845 for residents and $54,121 for nonresidents.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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