University of Iowa

Overview

The University of Iowa is an esteemed national research university situated in Iowa City, the second-largest university in the state. It is the first public university that offered coeducational classes since it opened its doors to students and it is among the first higher education institutions that granted college degrees to women. Standing on a 1,880-acre campus near the banks of the Iowa River, the institution comprises 119 major buildings that are within walking distance from each other. These are organized into 12 colleges that cover over 200 different fields of study.

Its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences enrolls most of the university’s undergraduate students. The other colleges that enroll undergraduate students are the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, the Henry B. Tippie College of Business, and the Colleges of Engineering, Education, Law, Pharmacy, and Nursing. Meanwhile, the Colleges of Public Health and Dentistry offer both undergraduate and graduate programs, together with their Graduate College.

Every year, more than 30,000 students are accommodated at the University of Iowa, 64% of whom come from the state, while about 30% come from other states. The remaining are international students who come from at least 100 countries. As of 2020, the university is staffed by around 1,200 faculty members and 13,000 personnel. Besides students, faculty, and staff, millions of visitors also come to the university annually to join and enjoy academic, athletic, cultural, and art events. These include competitions, conferences, and exhibits.

The University of Iowa was established on February 25, 1847, exactly 59 days after Iowa’s inclusion in the Union. The Constitution of the State of Iowa instigated the establishment of a state university that will not have any branch at any other place. While the legal name of the university is the State University of Iowa, its Board of Regents approved the use of the University of Iowa for common, daily usage starting October 1964.

Since its establishment, the university has been garnering international recognition because of its achievements in the fields of arts, humanities, and sciences. It is also the first US public university to admit male and female students in an equal capacity. The University of Iowa is also the first university to accept creative work in music, art, writing, and theater as theses. It is also the first to have a law school west of Mississippi, as well as the first institution to build an educational radio station. The world’s first educational TV program was also broadcasted from the University of Iowa’s engineering building.

Furthermore, the University of Iowa also contributed world-leading research and innovations in the fields of genetics, engineering, and sciences. Its graduate programs in Nursing Service Administration, Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, Creative Writing, and Printmaking are among the highest-ranked in the country and globally. It has also produced multiple scientists who have pioneered space research, including renowned American space scientist James Van Allen.