None of Iowa's universities ranked in the top 100 schools for U.S. News' Best Colleges list in 2026.
The University of Iowa's ranking dropped slightly, bumping it out of the top 100, while Iowa State University increased its ranking from the 2025 list.
U.S. News evaluated more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities based on 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success, according to the 2026 methodology. Criteria included graduation rate, first-year retention, and graduation performance rate, among other indicators, to determine the best school.
Which Iowa university ranked the best, according to U.S. News?
University of Iowa remained the highest-ranked university in Iowa; however, it dropped from 98th place in 2025 to No. 102 in 2026, according to U.S. News. The Hawkeyes tied for No. 49 place among the top public schools in the report.
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Iowa State University was the second-best university in Iowa, rising to No. 117 in 2026 from No. 121 the previous year. Among public schools, Iowa State ranked No. 57.
More: Which Iowa university has the most students? See 2025 enrollment for Iowa, ISU and UNI
How did each university rank?
Here are the highest-ranking national universities in Iowa for 2026, according to U.S. News.
University of Iowa: No. 102
Iowa State University: No. 117
Drake University: No. 183
Clarke University: No. 352
St. Ambrose University: No. 352
Briar Cliff University: No. 384
The University of Northern Iowa was ranked No. 10 among regional universities in the Midwest. Dordt University was also in the same category, ranking No. 5, according to the 2026 report from U.S. News.
Which Iowa liberal arts college ranked the best?
Grinnell College maintained its placement as the No. 1 liberal arts college in Iowa, according to U.S. News. Nationally, the college ranked No. 13. This is an improvement from 2025, when Grinnell ranked No. 19.
How did each liberal arts college rank?
Here are the top-ranked Iowa liberal arts colleges in 2026, according to U.S. News.
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Grinnell College: No. 13
Luther College: No. 111
Cornell College: No. 121
Coe College: No. 126
Central College: No. 131
Wartburg College: No. 156
What are the top 5 universities nationally?
Princeton University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Harvard University Stanford University Yale University
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Which Iowa universities rank the best in 2026? UI drops from top 100
[SRC] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/iowa-universities-rank-best-2026-142254294.html