Private Colleges in Iowa, Ranked by Acceptance Rate
Iowa has 18 private colleges in the CollegeCalcAI database. The most selective is Grinnell College at 15%; the most accessible is Loras College at 100%, and the median private college in the state admits 75%. 1 school admits 30% of applicants or fewer. Private colleges set their own aid policies, so the sticker price on this list says little about what a family actually pays; the acceptance rate says a lot about where to apply.
- 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
- 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 Private 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 17 of the 18 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. "Private Colleges in Iowa, Ranked by Acceptance Rate." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/private-colleges-in-iowa
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<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/private-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">75%</span><span style="display:block;margin-top:6px;font-size:13px;color:#475569">median acceptance rate, private colleges in iowa, ranked by acceptance rate (18 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.