Liberal Arts and General Studies colleges in Iowa, ranked by graduates
6 colleges in Iowa awarded at least 10 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies in 2023: 382 degrees, 2.8% of all bachelor's degrees at those colleges (1.9% across every college CollegeCalcAI tracks). University of Iowa graduated the most (200, 4% of its class). 3 of the 6 are public universities. The median acceptance rate among them is 89%; the most selective is Graceland University at 81%.
Liberal Arts and General Studies colleges in Iowa
Every Iowa college awarding at least 10 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies, ranked by 2023 graduates. Click a college for its liberal arts and general studies page.
| # | College | Type | Degrees (2023) | Share of grads | Acceptance rate | SAT 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Iowa | Public | 200 | 4% | 84% | 1330 |
| 2 | Iowa State University | Public | 76 | 1.3% | 89% | 1310 |
| 3 | University of Northern Iowa | Public | 59 | 3.1% | 93% | 1200 |
| 4 | Grand View University | Private | 23 | 6.6% | 99% | 1090 |
| 5 | Mount Mercy University | Private | 13 | 4.2% | 83% | 1120 |
| 6 | Graceland University | Private | 11 | 5.7% | 81% | 1120 |
Questions about liberal arts and general studies colleges in Iowa
What is the best college for liberal arts and general studies in Iowa?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023, the largest liberal arts and general studies programs in Iowa are University of Iowa (200), Iowa State University (76), University of Northern Iowa (59). "Best" depends on your profile: this page ranks every Iowa college in the field by output and shows each one's acceptance rate and admitted SAT so you can match it to your own numbers.
How many colleges in Iowa offer liberal arts and general studies?
6 four-year colleges in Iowa awarded 10 or more bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies in 2023, 3 public and 3 private, for 382 graduates in total.
Is in-state status an advantage for liberal arts and general studies in Iowa?
At the 3 public universities on this list, Iowa residents are usually admitted at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants and pay in-state tuition. CollegeCalcAI applies the residency effect when you set your home state, and the per-major adjustment when you set the major.
Liberal Arts and General Studies elsewhere
The same field in other states, and the national ranking.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 Completions (bachelor's degrees, first majors, CIP 2-digit series), joined to CollegeCalcAI's admissions dataset. Built 2026-09-19. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are not predictions or guarantees.