“Home to the legendary Iowa Writers' Workshop and a world-class health sciences complex — a Big Ten research powerhouse in one of America's most beloved college towns.”
The University of Iowa, founded in 1847, is the flagship research university of the state of Iowa and one of the nation's great public universities. Located in Iowa City — a UNESCO City of Literature and one of the most celebrated college towns in America — Iowa combines a rich literary and creative tradition with a powerful research enterprise spanning medicine, engineering, business, and the sciences. Iowa's most famous distinction is the Iowa Writers' Workshop, the oldest and most prestigious creative writing graduate program in the United States. The program has launched the careers of some of America's most celebrated authors, and its influence has shaped Iowa's identity as a university that takes the arts and humanities as seriously as the sciences. The College of Engineering, the Tippie College of Business, and the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine are all nationally ranked and produce highly competitive graduates. The UI Hospitals and Clinics — one of the largest university hospitals in the US — provides unmatched opportunities for pre-health students and is a major research and clinical care institution for the region. Iowa City's small-city charm, affordable cost of living, and the energy of Big Ten athletics make the University of Iowa a top choice for students seeking a complete university experience.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
Top Public Schools
US News 2026
Creative Writing
US News 2026
Speech-Language Pathology
US News 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Action
Non-binding — priority scholarship consideration
Regular Decision
Rolling admissions
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$9,800
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$31,980
/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.
Iowa's largest college, encompassing the famous Creative Writing program, psychology, political science, biology, and a wide range of humanities and sciences.
An AACSB-accredited business school with strong programs in finance, marketing, and accounting.
A comprehensive engineering college with programs across mechanical, electrical, civil, and biomedical engineering.
One of the nation's best colleges of education, with highly ranked programs in speech-language pathology, counseling, and educational measurement.
4 years
Iowa is the No. 2 university in the country for writing (tied with Yale, ahead of Harvard, Princeton, Cornell) — the only public school in the top 10. Home of the legendary Iowa Writers' Workshop, which has produced 17 Pulitzer Prize winners.
4 years
AACSB-accredited Big Ten business school with strong programs in finance, accounting, marketing, and analytics. The data analytics major has among the highest job-placement rates at Tippie.
4 years
STEM-designated programs in the College of Engineering with strengths in biomedical engineering, water sustainability, and aerospace; eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $51,307
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.
