University of Iowa

The University of Iowa was founded on in 1847, 59 days after Iowa became a state. The first faculty offered instruction at the university in March 1855 to students in the Old Mechanics Building, situated where Seashore Hall is now. In September 1855, the student body numbered 124, of which 41 were women. The 1856-57 catalogue listed nine departments offering Ancient Language, Modern Language, Intellectual Philosophy, Moral Philosophy, History, Natural History, Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, and Chemistry.

Today the University of Iowa offers top-notch academic programming in more than 100 areas. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Iowa is known around the world for its balanced commitment to the arts, sciences, and humanities. It's home to one of the nation's largest academic medical centers, the pioneering Iowa Writers' Workshop and hundreds of options for affordable, accessible education.

The University of Iowa is located in the casual yet cosmopolitan environment of Iowa City, widely recognized as one of the country's most livable communities.

The University of Iowa is regularly recognized as one of the top institutions of higher learning in the country, and over 5,000 courses are offered at the university each year. For 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked 16 University of Iowa graduate programs among the top 25 in the nation. For 2017, University of Iowa is ranked tied for 82nd among national universities, tied for 33th among public universities, and tied for 128th among global universities by U.S. News & World Report.

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 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.

In graduate school rankings for 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked Iowa's Carver College of Medicine tied for the 25th in the country for primary care and tied for 33rd in the country for research, its College of Public Health is the 17th, its College of Pharmacy is the 17th, its College of Law tied for the 20th, and its Nursing School tied for the 23rd in the same ranking.