Prospective students looking for schools in the Iowa City area will find a number of options within 50 miles, including a large state university, two community colleges, and a handful of private, 4-year colleges. To help students make the right choice, we compare traditional schools in the following categories using data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Closest Schools to Iowa City, Iowa
The closest traditional schools to Iowa City include public and private schools, as well as both 2-year and 4-year schools. While there is only one school within the Iowa City boundaries that offers a variety of programs of studies, other schools are only a short drive away.
- University of Iowa (0.7 miles from downtown)
- Cornell College (19.7 miles from downtown)
- Kirkwood Community College (19.8 miles from downtown)
- Coe College (26.2 miles from downtown)
- Mount Mercy University (26.2 miles from downtown)
Largest Schools Near Iowa City, Iowa
Most of the larger schools near Iowa City are 4-year institutions. Overall, the area is home to two schools with more than 13,000 students, while the rest of the traditional schools enroll between 450 and 1,900 students. The schools with the highest enrollment include:
- University of Iowa (29,909 students)
- Kirkwood Community College (12,604 students)
- Mount Mercy University (1,580 students)
- Coe College (1,371 students)
- Cornell College (1,055 students)
Lowest Net Price
Net price is the estimated annual cost of attendance, and it's found by subtracting the average amount of financial aid full-time undergrad students receive from the average total cost of attendance for residents. The area near Iowa City has a lot of private not-for-profit schools with an average net price over $16,000 per year, per the NCES. However, the public schools in the region provide cheaper alternatives. The following traditional schools have some of the lowest net prices for 2020-2021, as reported by the NCES.
- Kirkwood Community College ($8,740)
- University of Iowa ($17,599)
- Coe College ($19,141)
- Cornell College ($22,667)
- Mount Mercy University ($25,345)
Highest Graduation Rate
Several of the 4-year public and private schools near Iowa City had graduation rates that are 60% or higher for 2021. The rates were determined by the percentage of first-time, full-time bachelor's degree students who completed their programs within 150% of normal time, or six years.
- University of Iowa (74% graduation rate)
- Cornell College (64% graduation rate)
- Coe College (64% graduation rate)
- Mount Mercy University (60% graduation rate)
The Iowa City, IA, area offers students an array of different public and private schools that vary in graduation rates, price, size, and location.
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