University of Iowa is a public institution that was founded in 1847. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,974, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 1,880 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Iowa's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 71. Its in-state tuition and fees are $8,079 (2014-15); out-of-state tuition and fees are $27,409 (2014-15).

The University of Iowa offers top-notch academic programming in more than 100 areas. Students looking to hone their leadership skills have many options, too: They can enroll in the LeaderShape Institute, a six-day getaway workshop; attend the Leadership Development Series, which meets three times a semester; or participate in one of the many programs offered through the Center for Student Involvement & Leadership. Freshmen do not have to live on campus, but more than 90 percent choose to do so. Campus life may pose a challenge to tobacco users, as Iowa is a smoke-free campus. Students have more than 500 clubs and organizations from which to choose, and close to 10 percent of students go Greek as members of the school's nearly 50 fraternities and sororities. Sports are another big focus of campus life; even in the competitive NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference, the Iowa Hawkeyes are notorious players.

The University of Iowa has many well-ranked graduate programs, including degrees offered through its College of Law, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Henry B. Tippie School of Management and College of Education. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is a very highly ranked facility as well. Famous Iowa alumni include George Gallup, founder of the public opinion Gallup Poll; George Nissen, inventor of the trampoline; and Diablo Cody, screenwriter of "Juno" and "Jennifer’s Body." Actor Ashton Kutcher was briefly a Hawkeye who studied biomedical engineering before a modeling agent spotted him.

The University of Iowa is a major national research university with a broad-based liberal arts foundation. Founded in 1847 as Iowa's first public institution of higher education, it has won international recognition for its wealth of achievements in the arts, sciences, and humanities and offers several top-ranking programs. The university is composed of eleven colleges, the largest of which is the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, enrolling most of Iowa's undergraduates. The Henry B. Tippie College of Business, the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, and the Colleges of Education, Engineering, Law, Nursing, and Pharmacy enroll undergraduates, and, with the Colleges of Dentistry and Public Health, provide graduate education in conjunction with the Graduate College. Located in one of six cities in the world designated a City of Literature by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Iowa is home to the world-renowned Writers' Workshop, International Writing Program, and the Playwrights Workshop. Its research programs in genetics, hydraulics, and speech and hearing are world-renowned, and it operates one of the country's most advanced and comprehensive university-owned teaching hospitals. The University of Iowa enrolls more than 30,000 students, yet 81 percent of its undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students. Students can choose from more than 200 areas of study and nearly 500 student groups. More than 1,300 students studied abroad last year, programs range from one year to a few weeks in length. A University-wide honors program is dedicated to advancing Iowa's best students and the Center for Research by Undergraduates helps students connect with mentors and research opportunities in every discipline, while the Leadership Development Program offers leadership training, education, and development opportunities. Sports fans enjoy Big Ten and NCAA Division I athletics for 22 Hawkeye varsity squads and more than 170 home events each year. Recreation facilities, including a new $69-million 215,000-square-foot Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, offer opportunities to swim, run, lift weights, climb, and more. The picturesque campus is adjacent to downtown Iowa City, home to numerous coffee houses, dance clubs, and a wide variety of restaurants along with art galleries, clothing boutiques, and other local shops. Other entertainment options on and off campus include live music, theater, dance, readings by famous authors and poets, film screenings at a student-run cinema and lectures by luminaries such as Niel de Grasse Tyson, Temple Grandin, Robert Reich and Tom Brokaw.