5 Largest Colleges in Iowa

Iowa may have smaller schools, but a few stand out above the rest

Iowa is a state that has lots of smaller colleges and universities. When it comes to large, popular schools, there are just a few stand-outs. We’ve narrowed down which schools are the largest along with what makes them so popular to help you figure out which Iowa college or university is best for you, along with how much it will cost to attend.

According to Education Portal, the fastest-growing careers in Iowa are medical assistant, computer systems analyst and physicians’ assistants.

5. University of Northern Iowa

Type of College: Public university

Enrollment: 12,692

Cost: $6,190 (in-state), $14,282 (out-of-state)

Best Programs: Education, business, management, marketing and related support services – 40 percent of students at this school are enrolled in one of these programs.

Fun Fact: At the University of Northern Iowa, the student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1.

4. Kirkwood Community College

Type of College: Community college

Enrollment: 15,091

Cost: $3,090 (in-state), $6,180 (out-of-state)

Best Programs: Nursing and management

Fun Fact: Kirkwood offers numerous study abroad opportunities in countries like England, Costa Rica, Peru, Australia, Brazil, Ireland and Italy.

3. Des Moines Area Community College

Type of College: Community college

Enrollment: 18,320

Cost: $3,060 (in-state), $6,120 (out-of-state)

Best Programs: Health sciences

Fun Fact: Des Moines Area Community College has six campuses in Central Iowa.

2. Iowa State University

Type of College: Public university

Enrollment: 26,160

Cost: $6,161 (in-state), $16,919 (out-of-state)

Best Programs: Engineering, business, management, marketing and related support services – 37 percent of students at this school are enrolled in one of these programs.

Fun Fact: Thanks to Iowa State’s Soar in 4 initiative, advisors work with students to make sure they graduate in four years.

1. University of Iowa

Type of College: Public university

Enrollment: 29,117

Cost: $6,293 (in-state), $19,465 (out-of-state)

Best Programs: Business, management, marketing and related support services – 18 percent of students at this school are enrolled in one of these programs.

Fun Fact: At the University of Iowa, about 10 percent of students are members of a sorority or fraternity.

Quick Tips

  • Iowa has over 20 colleges with fewer than 1,000 students enrolled.
  • According to Education Portal, the fastest-growing careers in Iowa are medical assistant, computer systems analyst and physicians’ assistants.
  • Check out the many Iowa scholarship opportunities when researching schools in this state.

Stats source: CollegeStats.

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