Iowa Private Colleges and Universities

Independent Colleges and Universities in Iowa

Iowa colleges are not really famous for their tourist attractions and vacation destinations. So if you are looking for city excitement, schools and universities in the "Hawkeye State" will probably not be to your liking. However, if you want to receive an excellent education in a beautiful setting, then look no further. Iowa colleges will certainly fit the bill.

Iowa private colleges and universities offer a wide range of education programs with degrees and certificates up to the doctoral level, as well as professional degrees such as law and medicine. These Iowa private schools are diverse in character, academic emphasis, and origins. Some private colleges or schools have a religious affiliation; others are secular. Private colleges and universities may be profit or non-profit institutions. Typically, Iowa independent colleges or private schools give weight to personal characteristics and activities in addition to considering GPA and test scores. While many Iowa private schools are considerably more expensive than comparable state institutions, they also tend to offer more generous financial aid packages. Many students have found the actual out-of-pocket cost to earn a degree from a private college in Iowa to be less than the cost of the state schools to which they were accepted. On the one hand, public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Check out your state's Guide to Residency. Iowa private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources of funding. On the other hand, Iowa private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention (and some believe, more prestige).

Iowa College Graduate and Undergraduate Degrees

Iowa Private Colleges and Universities

Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities

IAICU advocates for 29 member institutions ranging in enrollment from 500 to 6,000 students. This eclectic group of independent not-for-profit church and non-sectarian, liberal arts and professional colleges and universities have created a rich heritage of independent higher education that started seven years before Iowa became a state.

The first independent college in Iowa was founded in 1839 and over the years all of the member colleges and universities of IAICU have established an enviable record of excellence in teaching and nurturing students, advancing knowledge and serving their communities and the world.

• Allen College, Waterloo
• Briar Cliff University, Sioux City
• Buena Vista University, Storm Lake
• Central College, Pella
• Clarke College, Dubuque
• Coe College, Cedar Rapids
• Cornell College, Mount Vernon
• Des Moines University - Osteopathic Medical Center, Des Moines
• Divine Word College, Epworth
• Dordt College, Sioux Center
• Drake University, Des Moines
• Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque
• Faith Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary, Ankeny
• Graceland University, Lamoni
• Grand View College, Des Moines
• Grinnell College, Grinnell
• Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant
• Loras College, Dubuque
• Luther College, Decorah
• Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield
• Mercy College of Health Sciences, Des Moines
• Morningside College, Sioux City
• Mount Mercy College, Cedar Rapids
• Northwestern College, Orange City
• Palmer Chiropractic University, Davenport
• Saint Ambrose University, Davenport
• Simpson College, Indianola
• Upper Iowa University, Fayette
• Vennard College, University Park
• Waldorf College, Forest City
• Wartburg College, Waverly
• Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque
• William Penn University, Oskaloosa