“Private Franciscan Catholic university in Sioux City, Iowa with a 10:1 student-faculty ratio.”
Briar Cliff University is a private Franciscan Catholic university situated on a 100-acre bluff overlooking the Missouri River in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1930 by the Sisters of St. Francis as a women's college, Briar Cliff became coeducational in 1966 and achieved university status in 2001. With total enrollment of roughly 1,000 students — including about 800 undergraduates and a notable international contingent — the university maintains an intentionally small, residential, values-centered educational model rooted in Franciscan traditions of community, compassion, simplicity, and care for creation. The campus sits minutes from downtown Sioux City and the tri-state region where Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota meet. Academically, Briar Cliff offers 56 undergraduate majors concentrated in business, education, health sciences, and the liberal arts, with its nursing program serving as the university's flagship. The Department of Nursing offers a full ladder of degrees — BSN, MSN, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and APRN specialty tracks — all accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the institution added a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) as part of its broader health sciences expansion. Other visible offerings include a Master of Health Administration, strong teacher-education programs, and business/accounting degrees. The academic culture is hands-on and relationship-intensive, with small classes, direct faculty access, and an emphasis on Franciscan values. Student life revolves around the intimate bluff-top campus. Briar Cliff competes athletically as the Chargers in NAIA within the Great Plains Athletic Conference, fielding 20+ varsity programs including football, basketball, baseball, softball, wrestling, and soccer. Residence halls and Toller Hall (the main academic building) anchor daily life, supplemented by campus ministry, liturgical programs, and community-service opportunities aligned with the Franciscan mission. Sioux City — with about 85,000 residents — offers professional internship options in healthcare (UnityPoint-St. Luke's, MercyOne), agribusiness, and financial services, and the university's free application, broad merit-aid coverage (97% of full-time students receive institutional grants averaging over $23,000), and small community make it a practical choice for students seeking a supportive Midwestern residential experience.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceRolling Admissions — Fall
International completed applications due by July 10 for Fall
Rolling Admissions — Spring
International completed applications due by December 10 for Spring
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$36,956
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Briar Cliff's flagship health program, offering BSN, MSN, DNP, and APRN specialty degrees — all CCNE-accredited.
Houses the Doctor of Physical Therapy and the Master of Health Administration alongside pre-health undergraduate tracks.
Undergraduate and graduate business programs emphasizing ethics, entrepreneurship, and accounting.
Prepares K-12 teachers with early classroom placements and strong Iowa/Nebraska/South Dakota district partnerships.
Covers humanities, sciences, and social sciences rooted in Franciscan liberal-arts tradition.
4 years
CCNE-accredited BSN with strong clinical placements at UnityPoint-St. Luke's and MercyOne Siouxland in Sioux City, supported by a full graduate nursing ladder (MSN, DNP, APRN specialties).
3 years
A hands-on DPT program with small cohort sizes and regional clinical partners, training generalist physical therapists for Midwest healthcare systems.
2 years
Practitioner-focused graduate program preparing students for leadership roles in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care networks.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $36,956
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
