Iowa City and its surrounding communities offer outstanding quality of life and often appear on "best places to live" lists for affordability, low crime rates, excellent schools, and commitment to health and wellness. The vibrant downtown hosts numerous musical and cultural festivals, and indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities abound.

We're not in the middle of nowhere—we're in the center of everywhere. Iowa City is right on the interstate, and with the Eastern Iowa Airport only 30 minutes away, you can easily get anywhere you want to go.

The State of Iowa boasts miles of rivers, streams, trails, and roads for some of the best fishing, biking, boating, and hiking in the nation. Iowa is a dynamic mix of farming, manufacturing, biotechnology, and finance. Iowa is also the home of more than 250 commercial vineyards and over 100 wineries.

  Iowa City

• Ranked in Top 5 of best places to live in the U.S. (livability.com)
• Top arts and entertainment, including Iowa Arts Festival and Iowa City Jazz Festival
• Thirteen museums including UI Museum of Art with 14,000 pieces of art
• 70 public parks that includes the 12 miles Iowa River Trail
• Hancher - an 1800-seat auditorium featuring world-class theater and entertainment

  Iowa

• Ranked #1 state in the country by U.S. News (2018)
• Ranked #2 Most Affordable housing in the U.S. (U.S. News)
• Ranked #3 in health care nationwide (U.S. News)
• Ranked #1 in high school graduation rate (U.S. News)

What We Offer

The community provides numerous entertainment and housing options for young adult students and students with families. 

• A vibrant campus: Iowa's campus is beautiful, pedestrian-friendly, and offers a variety of entertaining options
• A cultured community: Offerings include great restaurants, eclectic book stores, and abundant live performance venues
• Family Support: Graduate student with families will find plenty of family resources and family-oriented things to do
• Accessibility: We're within a five-hour drive of Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, Kansas City, and St. Louis, and making travel arrangements is a breeze

Our Track Record

Many Iowa students fall in love with Iowa City and never leave, choosing to establish their careers and families here. The community also ranks high in published reports.

• Top Four College Town in America, according to the American Institute for Economic Research's College Destination Index(2013-14) for cities with greater than 15,000 college students
• #4 among the "Brainiest" cities in America, according to a 2013 analysis published in The Atlantic
• World's City of Literature, as designated by the UNESCO in 2008
• #4 Smartest City on Luminosity's Smartest Cities in America for 2013
• A Top Literary City in the U.S., according to Highbrow Magazine, April 2014
• Ranked Top 25 Cities for Jobs, "Q4 2013 Career Trends Report," Beyond.com, February 2014
• #3 Best Place to Live in America, according to Outside Magazine, 2015

Location