There are 75 colleges in Iowa - 19 public and 56 private schools. The 2024 average undergraduate tuition of the Iowa colleges is $10,396 for state residents and $32,897 for out-of-state students.
42 Iowa cities have at least one college and, of them, Davenport has the most of 7 colleges. It has 3 four-year colleges and 3 community colleges with a total of 12,415 students. Dubuque and Sioux City also has a number of colleges of 6 and 5 colleges respectively.
The following table shows the Iowa colleges by city. The 2024 tuition & fees based on 4-year colleges' cost.
| City | Number of Schools | Under-graduate Tuition | Graduate Tuition | Population | Students to Faculty | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 4-year | Community Colleges | Trade Schools | Total | Under. | Graduate | ||||
| Davenport | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | $20,866 | $15,065 | 12,415 | 9,640 | 2,775 | 13 to 1 |
| Dubuque | 6 | 5 | - | 1 | $34,491 | $13,934 | 4,627 | 3,837 | 790 | 8 to 1 |
| Sioux City | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | $31,286 | $10,239 | 8,535 | 7,254 | 1,281 | 9 to 1 |
| Cedar Rapids | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | $45,823 | $11,410 | 15,360 | 15,105 | 255 | 13 to 1 |
| Des Moines | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | $35,251 | $11,597 | 7,519 | 5,396 | 2,123 | 9 to 1 |
| Cedar Falls | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | $21,272 ($9,728) |
$22,834 ($11,362) |
9,078 | 7,868 | 1,210 | 18 to 1 |
| West Des Moines | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | $19,428 | 1,707 | 180 | 1,527 | 8 to 1 |
| Council Bluffs | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 5,372 | 5,372 | - | 14 to 1 |
| Ankeny | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | $19,530 | $7,940 | 22,085 | 22,014 | 71 | 17 to 1 |
| Mason City | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 2,538 | 2,538 | - | 14 to 1 |
| Waterloo | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | $24,456 | $19,028 | 5,284 | 5,065 | 219 | 12 to 1 |
| Fort Dodge | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | 5,079 | 5,079 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Ames | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | $27,683 ($10,497) |
$29,303 ($12,451) |
30,095 | 25,367 | 4,728 | 17 to 1 |
| Iowa City | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | $32,927 ($10,964) |
$34,882 ($13,211) |
30,088 | 22,046 | 8,042 | 14 to 1 |
| Ottumwa | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 3,361 | 3,361 | - | 15 to 1 |
| West Burlington | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2,476 | 2,476 | - | 12 to 1 |
| Estherville | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,960 | 1,960 | - | 14 to 1 |
| Fayette | 1 | 1 | - | - | $19,000 | $18,958 | 3,072 | 2,463 | 609 | 13 to 1 |
| Pella | 1 | 1 | - | - | $20,988 | - | 1,169 | 1,169 | - | 13 to 1 |
| Waverly | 1 | 1 | - | - | $51,040 | $11,500 | 1,444 | 1,416 | 28 | 13 to 1 |
| Spirit Lake | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 19 | 19 | - | 10 to 1 |
| Sioux Center | 1 | 1 | - | - | $35,960 | $9,820 | 1,861 | 1,618 | 243 | 14 to 1 |
| Urbandale | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 43 | 43 | - | 10 to 1 |
| Fairfield | 1 | 1 | - | - | $16,530 | $29,530 | 2,673 | 681 | 1,992 | 13 to 1 |
| Iowa Falls | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 718 | 718 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Orange City | 1 | 1 | - | - | $35,300 | $6,600 | 1,651 | 1,153 | 498 | 15 to 1 |
| Lamoni | 1 | 1 | - | - | $33,646 | $11,991 | 1,237 | 885 | 352 | 13 to 1 |
| Sheldon | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,811 | 1,811 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Mt. Pleasant | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 20 | 20 | - | 10 to 1 |
| Indianola | 1 | 1 | - | - | $46,212 | $7,244 | 1,151 | 1,127 | 24 | 10 to 1 |
| Storm Lake | 1 | 1 | - | - | $40,190 | $10,170 | 1,973 | 1,474 | 499 | 12 to 1 |
| Creston | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,581 | 1,581 | - | 17 to 1 |
| Forest City | 1 | 1 | - | - | $25,220 | $5,220 | 2,763 | 2,295 | 468 | 24 to 1 |
| Mount Vernon | 1 | 1 | - | - | $50,634 | $2,800 | 1,073 | 1,058 | 15 | 13 to 1 |
| Oskaloosa | 1 | 1 | - | - | $28,750 | $10,500 | 1,473 | 1,404 | 69 | 18 to 1 |
| Johnston | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 57 | 57 | - | 14 to 1 |
| Epworth | 1 | 1 | - | - | $15,050 | - | 68 | 68 | - | 6 to 1 |
| Anamosa | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 32 | 32 | - | 7 to 1 |
| Decorah | 1 | 1 | - | - | $50,320 | - | 1,610 | 1,610 | - | 11 to 1 |
| Marshalltown | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1,707 | 1,707 | - | 17 to 1 |
| Calmar | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 4,355 | 4,355 | - | 15 to 1 |
| Grinnell | 1 | 1 | - | - | $64,862 | - | 1,759 | 1,759 | - | 9 to 1 |