Key Facts About Iowa Private Colleges and Universities

52,898 students are enrolled in Iowa's private colleges.

17,456 Pell recipients (33% of enrollment) at Iowa non-profit colleges and universities, compared to 13,468 Pell recipients (17% of enrollment) at Iowa public universities

$62 million in Pell grants to Iowa private college students

$504 million in institutional financial aid to Iowa private college students

94% of students at IAICU colleges and universities receive institutional financial aid

48% of bachelors degrees conferred in Iowa are from private, non-profit colleges and universities

10,000 Iowans employed at IAICU member institutions in 18 Iowa towns and cities

More than 50,000 students from Iowa and around the world enroll at an Iowa private college.

These institutions enroll 25% of all Iowa higher education students, confer 48% of all baccalaureate degrees, 45% of all professional degrees and 34% of all graduate degrees awarded in Iowa each year.

Students are as likely to earn their degree in four years at an Iowa private college as they are in six years at a public university. In fact, according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, 79% of private four-year college graduates earned their degree in four years, compared to 49% at state four-year institutions.

These institutions do more than provide excellent educational opportunities for Iowa students. They also employ more than 10,000 Iowans and generate $1.8 billion in annual economic impact in cities and towns large and small across the state.