“A tight-knit Midwestern liberal arts college where every Kohawk is guaranteed an internship, research, or off-campus experience.”
Coe College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1851 and located on a 65-acre urban campus in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Originally chartered as an institution to train young men for the ministry, Coe evolved into a coeducational, Presbyterian-affiliated liberal arts college that today enrolls around 1,200 undergraduates from across the United States and more than a dozen countries. The college is known for its small class sizes (average 16 students), a faculty composed overwhelmingly of terminal-degree holders, and a strong emphasis on experiential learning — every student is guaranteed an internship, faculty-mentored research project, or off-campus study experience before graduation. Academically, Coe offers more than 60 areas of study across traditional liberal arts disciplines, the natural and physical sciences, business, education, nursing, and the visual and performing arts. Signature programs include biology and pre-health, business administration, psychology, chemistry, and a distinctive nursing program launched in partnership with local Cedar Rapids health systems. The college's downtown setting gives students ready access to internships with UnityPoint Health, Transamerica, Collins Aerospace, and the thriving arts community anchored by the nearby Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and Paramount Theatre. Student life at Coe revolves around long-running traditions that bind generations of 'Kohawks' together — most famously Flunk Day, a surprise spring holiday since 1911 when classes are cancelled and the whole campus decamps for a day of outdoor fun. With NCAA Division III athletics, more than 70 student organizations, a vibrant international community of roughly 80 students from China, Japan, Nepal, Vietnam, Germany, India and beyond, and residential life that keeps 95%+ of undergraduates on campus, Coe offers the classic residential liberal arts experience in an accessible, friendly, Midwestern setting.
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 SourceEarly Decision
Binding commitment for students ranking Coe as their first choice
Scholarship Priority / International Priority
Priority deadline for Global Leadership Scholarship and other competitive awards
Regular Decision (International Fall)
Final deadline for international applicants for Fall term
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$56,380
/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.
Houses biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, and environmental science. Students routinely co-author research with faculty and pursue summer research stipends.
Coe's largest academic area by graduates, emphasizing applied coursework and internships with Cedar Rapids employers including Transamerica, Collins Aerospace, and UnityPoint Health.
Direct-entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing program partnered with local health systems, plus strong pre-med, public health, and kinesiology tracks.
Encompasses English, history, philosophy, religion, psychology, sociology, and criminal justice. The Creative Writing program is a long-standing strength.
Art, music, and theatre programs with audition-based scholarships up to $40,000 per year. Resources include Marquis Hall, Dows Theatre, and the Sinclair Auditorium.
Iowa-licensure teacher preparation programs in elementary and secondary education, with field placements in Cedar Rapids-area schools from the first year.
4 years
Direct-entry nursing program combining liberal arts foundations with clinical rotations in partner hospitals. Standardized test scores are required for admission to the direct-entry track.
4 years
Consistently one of Coe's most popular majors, with 100% of students placed into research, internship, or clinical-shadowing experiences and strong placement into medical, dental, and PA schools.
4 years
One of the oldest and most respected undergraduate writing programs in the Midwest, featuring the annual Contemporary Writers Series that brings acclaimed authors to campus.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $54,666
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.
