University of Iowa

The University of Iowa is a public research university located in Iowa City, Iowa. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state and a member of the Big Ten Conference. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, including law, medicine, business, engineering, and the arts. It is known for its academic medical center and for creative writing through the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Students are drawn to the University of Iowa for its combination of research opportunities, professional programs, and a traditional residential campus experience in a mid-sized college town.

The University of Iowa was founded on February 25, 1847, just weeks after Iowa achieved statehood, making it the state’s oldest public university. Established in Iowa City, the institution was originally known as the State University of Iowa and began holding classes in the Old Capitol building. Amos Dean served as its first president in the 1850s, helping shape its early academic structure. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the University of Iowa expanded its curriculum to include professional programs in law, medicine, and dentistry. During the twentieth century, the university developed a national reputation in areas such as writing, public health, and the sciences, including the creation of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Today, the University of Iowa operates as a comprehensive public research university, with a major academic medical center and a broad array of undergraduate and graduate programs.