University of Iowa

Statistics

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Rankings & Lists

Students Say - Academics
The University of Iowa "is a large school that...becomes small" once you find your place in it, students tell us. Or rather, places: Your academic specializations, extracurricular activities, and social circles all contribute to "each person finding their own niche here." This comfort doesn't come at the expense of opportunity, as it might at a smaller school; here undergrads enjoy "the opportunity to take advantage of the resources...and seek out everything from research to internships in the areas [they] are studying." Those opportunities are available across disciplines, as "University of Iowa is all about serious professions such as medicine and engineering but is also good with the arts as well." Students report that Iowa has "strong science programs," a "good business school," a "prestigious journalism school," a "strong art program," and "one of the best creative writing programs in the country." Most professors here "are approachable and seem interested in helping students learn," although not all are stellar lecturers. Students majoring in the sciences and engineering in particular complain that for some professors, "English is a very distant second language." Teaching assistants are ubiquitous. As one student explains, "Unless it's an honors class or a grad class that you asked permission to join as [an] undergrad, you mostly deal with the TAs. The TAs are hit-and-miss, but a lot of them are really great and helpful."

Students Say - Campus Life
Football season is the best time of year at University of Iowa, where "tailgating is great" and "most of the student body is out tailgating before 8 A.M. on Saturdays in the fall." "Even those who aren't football fans take part in the atmosphere," and at game time "over 70,000 fans fill the stadium to cheer the Hawks on to victory." The bar scene is also quite popular. "You only have to be 19 to get in" to most local bars, where "loads of popular and underground music acts come through" each week and where students often congregate to watch out-of-town football games. But while "going to bars is pretty common," "there are plenty of other things to do" in and around campus, including "Campus Activities Board events, student organizations...intramurals, and Night Games," in which the school opens the field house one night a month for recreational sports and activities. Greek life "makes up around 12 percent of the population on campus, which is big enough to mean something but also not super overwhelming." Iowa City is no major metropolis but students enjoy its "many restaurants and bars;" "great places to shop, eat, and hang out;" and the "great relationship between the residents and the students."

Students Say - Student Body
Iowa's undergraduate population is about 20,000 strong, large enough to encompass numerous subpopulations. The student body consists of a mix of kids "who grew up in rural Iowa, kids from the Chicago suburbs, and several students from every state in the country and various countries from around the world." You'll find everything "ranging from city to country kids, liberal to conservative, regional to international" here, with "so many things you can get involved in to channel those traits" that you'll inevitably "find your fit." Your job will be easiest if you blend well with the majority, who are "white, middle-class, decent at school," and "involved in at least one student organization," have "a great interest in [Iowa] athletics," and "take their social [lives] rather seriously." Iowa hosts "many students from other countries, especially China, so there is plenty of opportunity to broaden your cultural base if you choose. If you want to be a typical partying college student, you can definitely fit right in, but if you don't, you can find your own social group as well."

Other Schools To Consider Top Programs