Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Iowa
Iowa has 21 colleges in the CollegeCalcAI database, and this page ranks every one of them by acceptance rate. The most selective are Grinnell College (15%), William Penn University (52%), and Drake University (64%). 1 school admits a quarter of applicants or fewer, the median Iowa college admits 77%, and 3 are public against 18 private. At the other end, Loras College admits 100%. Open any school for its full admissions profile, or check your own odds free.
- Grinnell College15%acceptanceHighly selectiveIA · SAT 1470
- William Penn University52%acceptanceModerately selectiveIA · SAT 1120
- Drake University64%acceptanceModerately selectiveIA · SAT 1300
- Coe College64%acceptanceModerately selectiveIA · SAT 1230
- Briar Cliff University65%acceptanceModerately selectiveIA · SAT 1120
- Dordt University68%acceptanceModerately selectiveIA · SAT 1260
- Morningside University71%acceptanceModerately selectiveIA · SAT 1170
- Luther College72%acceptanceModerately selectiveIA · SAT 1230
- Clarke University72%acceptanceModerately selectiveIA · SAT 1120
- St. Ambrose University77%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1120
- Waldorf University77%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1120
- Cornell College80%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1230
- Northwestern College (IA)80%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1240
- Graceland University81%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1120
- Mount Mercy University83%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1120
- University of Iowa84%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1330
- Iowa State University89%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1310
- University of Northern Iowa93%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1200
- Upper Iowa University96%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1150
- Grand View University99%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1090
- Loras College100%acceptanceAccessibleIA · SAT 1230
Your chances at these colleges
Estimated chance of admission for three typical students, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA; 2, 4 and 7 AP courses respectively; Regular Decision; no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook.
Which of the Hardest Colleges in Iowa can I get into with a 3.7 GPA and a 1300 SAT?
By CollegeCalcAI's model, a student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT has a Likely or Safety estimate (45% or higher) at 20 of the 21 colleges here, including William Penn University, Drake University and Coe College. The other 1 is a Reach. Estimates assume Regular Decision and no hook; courses, activities and essays move them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities or compare your own list with the free admissions API.
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CollegeCalcAI. "Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Iowa." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/hardest-colleges-in-iowa
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<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/hardest-colleges-in-iowa?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=statcard" style="display:inline-block;padding:16px 20px;border:1px solid #E5E9F0;border-radius:14px;text-decoration:none;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#fff"><span style="display:block;font-size:30px;font-weight:800;color:#0F766E;line-height:1">77%</span><span style="display:block;margin-top:6px;font-size:13px;color:#475569">median acceptance rate, hardest colleges to get into in iowa (21 schools)</span><span style="display:block;margin-top:8px;font-size:11px;color:#94A3B8">Source: CollegeCalcAI</span></a>
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Acceptance rates and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets) and are rounded. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.