Iowa: Colleges & Universities

Colleges & Universities in Iowa

Public Universities, Community Colleges & Private Institutions

Iowa offers a broad range of higher-education opportunities, including public four-year universities, public two-year community colleges, private nonprofit colleges and universities, private for-profit institutions, and specialized nursing and health-care colleges.

The state has 3 public universities governed by the Iowa Board of Regents, 15 public community colleges, 27 private not-for-profit colleges and universities, and 2 private for-profit institutions. The Iowa Department of Education also lists 5 nursing and health-care colleges as a separate category.

This guide brings these institutions together in one convenient directory for high-school students, parents, transfer students, adult learners, international students, and anyone researching college opportunities in Iowa.

Iowa Higher-Education at a Glance

3

Public Universities

Four-Year

15

Community Colleges

Public Two-Year

27

Private Nonprofit

Colleges & Universities

2

Private For-Profit

Institutions

Iowa Higher-Education Structure

• 3 Public Universities
• 15 Public Community Colleges
• 27 Private Not-for-Profit Colleges & Universities
• 2 Private For-Profit Colleges & Universities
• 5 Nursing & Health Care Colleges

1. Public Universities — 3

Iowa has three public four-year Regent Universities governed by the Iowa Board of Regents.

#	Institution	Address	Official Website
1	Iowa State University	Ames, IA 50011	iastate.edu
2	University of Iowa	Iowa City, IA 52242	uiowa.edu
3	University of Northern Iowa	Cedar Falls, IA 50614	uni.edu

2. Public Community Colleges — 15

Iowa has a statewide system of 15 public two-year community colleges. They provide transfer education, career and technical education, certificates, diplomas, workforce training, and other programs.

#	Community College	Main Location	Official Website
1	Des Moines Area Community College	Ankeny, IA	dmacc.edu
2	Eastern Iowa Community College	Clinton, Muscatine & Scott County, IA	eicc.edu
3	Hawkeye Community College	Waterloo, IA	hawkeyecollege.edu
4	Indian Hills Community College	Ottumwa, IA	indianhills.edu
5	Iowa Central Community College	Fort Dodge, IA	iowacentral.edu
6	Iowa Lakes Community College	Estherville, IA	iowalakes.edu
7	Iowa Valley Community College District	Ellsworth & Marshalltown, IA	iavalley.edu
8	Iowa Western Community College	Council Bluffs, IA	iwcc.edu
9	Kirkwood Community College	Cedar Rapids, IA	kirkwood.edu
10	North Iowa Area Community College	Mason City, IA	niacc.edu
11	Northeast Iowa Community College	Calmar & Peosta, IA	nicc.edu
12	Northwest Iowa Community College	Sheldon, IA	nwicc.edu
13	Southeastern Community College	West Burlington, IA	scciowa.edu
14	Southwestern Community College	Creston, IA	swcciowa.edu
15	Western Iowa Tech Community College	Sioux City, IA	witcc.edu

3. Private Nonprofit Institutions — 27

The Iowa Department of Education currently lists 27 private not-for-profit colleges and universities in its statewide directory.

#	Institution	Main Address / Location	Official Website
1	Briar Cliff University	3303 Rebecca Street, Sioux City, IA 51104	briarcliff.edu
2	Buena Vista University	610 West 4th Street, Storm Lake, IA 50588	bvu.edu
3	Central College	812 University Street, Pella, IA 50219	central.edu
4	Clarke University	1550 Clarke Drive, Dubuque, IA 52001	clarke.edu
5	Coe College	1220 1st Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402	coe.edu
6	Cornell College	600 First Street SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314	cornellcollege.edu
7	Divine Word College	102 Jacoby Drive SW, Epworth, IA 52045	dwci.edu
8	Dordt University	700 7th Street NE, Sioux Center, IA 51250	dordt.edu
9	Drake University	2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311	drake.edu
10	Emmaus University	2570 Asbury Road, Dubuque, IA 52001	emmaus.edu
11	Faith Baptist Bible College	1900 NW 4th Street, Ankeny, IA 50023	faith.edu
12	Graceland University	1 University Place, Lamoni, IA 50140	graceland.edu
13	Grand View University	1200 Grandview Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50316	grandview.edu
14	Grinnell College	1115 8th Avenue, Grinnell, IA 50112	grinnell.edu
15	Loras College	1450 Alta Vista Street, Dubuque, IA 52001	loras.edu
16	Luther College	700 College Drive, Decorah, IA 52101	luther.edu
17	Maharishi International University	1000 North 4th Street, Fairfield, IA 52557	miu.edu
18	Morningside University	1501 Morningside Avenue, Sioux City, IA 51106	morningside.edu
19	Mount Mercy University	1330 Elmhurst Drive NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402	mtmercy.edu
20	Northwestern College	101 7th Street SW, Orange City, IA 51041	nwciowa.edu
21	Simpson College	701 North C Street, Indianola, IA 50125	simpson.edu
22	St. Ambrose University	518 West Locust Street, Davenport, IA 52803	sau.edu
23	University of Dubuque	2000 University Avenue, Dubuque, IA 52001	dbq.edu
24	Upper Iowa University	605 Washington Street, Fayette, IA 52142	uiu.edu
25	Waldorf University	106 South 6th Street, Forest City, IA 50436	waldorf.edu
26	Wartburg College	100 Wartburg Boulevard, Waverly, IA 50677	wartburg.edu
27	William Penn University	201 Trueblood Avenue, Oskaloosa, IA 52577	wmpenn.edu

4. Private For-Profit Institutions — 2

#	Institution	Address / Location	Official Website
1	The Art of Education University	Osage, IA	theartofeducation.edu
2	Orion Technical College	Davenport, IA	orion.edu

5. Nursing & Health Care Colleges — 5

The Iowa Department of Education lists these five institutions separately as nursing and health-care colleges.

#	Institution	Address / Location	Official Website
1	Allen College	1990 Heath Street, Waterloo, IA 50703	allencollege.edu
2	Des Moines University	8025 Grand Avenue, West Des Moines, IA 50266	dmu.edu
3	Mercy College of Health Sciences	928 6th Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309	mchs.edu
4	Palmer College of Chiropractic	1000 Brady Street, Davenport, IA 52803	palmer.edu
5	St. Luke's College	2800 Pierce Street, Sioux City, IA 51104	stlukescollege.edu

Important Note About the Categories

The categories used by the Iowa Department of Education are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, some specialized health-care institutions may also be private nonprofit institutions.

Therefore, the numbers in the sections above should not simply be added together to produce one total number of unique institutions.

The 27 private nonprofit figure and the other primary institutional categories are based on the current Iowa Department of Education directory.

Iowa Higher-Education Summary

• Public Universities: 3
• Public Community Colleges: 15
• Private Not-for-Profit Colleges & Universities: 27
• Private For-Profit Colleges & Universities: 2
• Nursing & Health Care Colleges: 5

Sources / References

1. Iowa Department of Education — Iowa Colleges & Universities
   Official Iowa Colleges & Universities Directory
   Primary source for the statewide lists of public universities, private nonprofit institutions, private for-profit institutions, community colleges, and nursing & health-care colleges.
2. Iowa Board of Regents — Institutions
   Iowa Board of Regents Institutions
   Official source for Iowa's three Regent Universities: Iowa State University, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa.
3. Iowa Department of Education — Types of Colleges & Degrees
   Types of Colleges & Degrees in Iowa
   Information about public universities, private nonprofit institutions, private for-profit institutions, and community colleges.
4. Iowa Department of Education — Community Colleges
   Iowa Community Colleges
   Official state information confirming Iowa's statewide system of 15 public community colleges.
5. Iowa Association of Independent Colleges & Universities
   Iowa Private Colleges & Universities
   Additional information about Iowa's independent nonprofit colleges and universities.
6. Iowa Board of Regents — Regent Admission Index
   Regent Admission Index
   Official admission information for Iowa's three Regent Universities.

Last reviewed: August 2026

This directory is provided for educational and informational purposes. Institution names, addresses, websites, programs, tuition, admission requirements, accreditation, and other information may change. Students and families should verify current information directly with the institution before making enrollment or financial decisions.