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Academics

The University of Iowa
Academics

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How strong are the academics at The University of Iowa?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

16:1
Student to faculty ratio
28
Average class size
58%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Iowa has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
561
10-19
832
20-29
677
30-39
228
40-49
129
50-99
239
100+
160

Honors Programs

The University of Iowa has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Iowa's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at The University of Iowa:

90%
First-year retention rate
58%
4-year grad rate
75%
6-year grad rate

The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $50,253. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.

$50,253
$48,300 (National Average)

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are The University of Iowa's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Exercise Science and Kinesiology
Finance, General
Behavioral Sciences
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
203
237.8
272.6
307.4
342.2
377

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Women's Studies 7
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 7
  • African-American/Black Studies 4
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 4
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
  • African-American/Black Studies 1
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 1
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 92
  • Neuroscience 60
  • Biomedical Sciences, General 31
  • Biochemistry 31
  • Microbiology, General 27
  • Microbiology, General 2
  • Biochemistry 1
  • Neuroscience 1
Business
  • Finance, General 360
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 251
  • Organizational Leadership 174
  • Accounting 146
  • Labor and Industrial Relations 142
  • Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 112
  • Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 83
  • Insurance 54
  • Finance, General 35
  • Labor and Industrial Relations 24
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 15
  • Actuarial Science 12
  • Organizational Leadership 4
  • Actuarial Science 2
  • Insurance 2
  • Business/Commerce, General 0
  • Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 0
Communication
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 145
  • Journalism 81
  • Journalism 7
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 6
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 82
  • Informatics 20
  • Computer Science 3
  • Informatics 1
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 131
  • Social Studies Teacher Education 34
  • English/Language Arts Teacher Education 21
  • Music Teacher Education 17
  • Mathematics Teacher Education 7
  • Foreign Language Teacher Education 4
  • Art Teacher Education 4
  • Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 2
  • Art Teacher Education 2
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 2
  • Music Teacher Education 1
  • English/Language Arts Teacher Education 1
  • Social Studies Teacher Education 0
  • Mathematics Teacher Education 0
  • Foreign Language Teacher Education 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 94
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 88
  • Civil Engineering, General 48
  • Industrial Engineering 45
  • Computer Engineering, General 42
  • Chemical Engineering 41
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 30
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 4
  • Computer Engineering, General 1
  • Mechanical Engineering 1
  • Engineering, General 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature/Letters, Other 115
  • English Language and Literature, General 47
  • English Language and Literature/Letters, Other 25
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 28
  • Linguistics 14
  • French Language and Literature 11
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 7
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 7
  • Linguistics 6
  • German Language and Literature 4
  • Language Interpretation and Translation 3
  • French Language and Literature 3
  • Russian Language and Literature 3
  • Italian Language and Literature 1
  • German Language and Literature 1
  • Russian Language and Literature 1
  • Language Interpretation and Translation 0
  • Portuguese Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 232
  • Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 79
  • Public Health, General 68
  • Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer 43
  • Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy 21
  • Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist 8
  • Public Health, General 1
  • Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer 1
  • Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 0
  • Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 0
History
  • History, General 66
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 200
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 2
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 46
  • Statistics, General 14
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Behavioral Sciences 289
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 75
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 27
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 27
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 27
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 26
  • Systems Science and Theory 13
  • Ancient Studies/Civilization 12
  • Ancient Studies/Civilization 12
  • Data Science, General 11
  • International/Globalization Studies 9
  • Behavioral Sciences 9
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 5
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 5
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 5
  • International/Globalization Studies 2
  • Data Science, General 2
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Science 27
  • Environmental Studies 15
  • Environmental Studies 5
  • Environmental Science 2
Parks
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology 377
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 102
  • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 12
  • Sports Studies 10
  • Sports Studies 10
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology 4
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 11
  • Religion/Religious Studies 3
  • Religion/Religious Studies 1
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 45
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 13
  • Physics, General 13
  • Physics, General 10
  • Astronomy 6
  • Astronomy 1
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Social Work 40
  • Social Work 3
Social Sciences
  • Political Science and Government, General 112
  • Economics, General 79
  • Criminology 58
  • Sociology, General 27
  • International Relations and Affairs 24
  • Criminology 23
  • Political Science and Government, General 22
  • Economics, General 15
  • Anthropology, General 13
  • Geography 10
  • International Relations and Affairs 10
  • Anthropology, General 8
  • Sociology, General 2
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Art/Art Studies, General 93
  • Music, General 59
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 46
  • Playwriting and Screenwriting 22
  • Dance, General 16
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 11
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 8
  • Playwriting and Screenwriting 7
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 5
  • Music, General 4
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 3
  • Musical Theatre 2
  • Musical Theatre 2
  • Art/Art Studies, General 2
  • Dance, General 1
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