(Iowa Capital Dispatch) Iowa’s public universities have welcomed thousands of students back to campus this fall, with each institution touting either increased interest, enrollment or retention.
Of Iowa’s three public universities, only the University of Northern Iowa welcomed a larger first-year and total student body than in 2025, with both the University of Iowa and Iowa State University seeing smaller incoming cohorts and total university enrollment.
More than 71,500 undergraduate, graduate and professional students are enrolled in the institutions this fall, according to information released by the universities Thursday.
University of Northern Iowa
UNI stated in a news release its fall 2026 incoming class of 1,709 freshman is the largest the university has seen since 2017, representing a 10.3% increase from 2025. Close to 85% of the first-year class is from Iowa, and UNI President Mark Nook said in the release it is a more than 3% increase from last year.
Total enrollment sits at 9,366 students, the highest it’s reached since 2020. The number of new students in general, 3,426, is also at its highest since 2017.
“By offering programs of study that prospective students value and that align with workforce needs, even more students from across the state and the Midwest are taking advantage of the exceptional quality and value of a UNI education,” Nook said in the release.
Every county in Iowa is represented in UNI’s total student body, alongside 46 states and 52 countries. The release stated 300 students came from states bordering Iowa, 235 of whom are freshmen and all of whom receive in-state tuition as part of UNI’s Neighboring State Rate.
More than two-thirds of the 849 new UNI transfer students came from Iowa community colleges, according to the release, and over the past four years since the creation of UNI@IACC, a transfer partnership with community colleges, enrollment in the program has doubled.
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa this year received around as many freshmen enrollment applications as they have enrolled students this fall, according to a news release, though its total enrollment dropped from 31,563 in 2025 to 31,382 this fall.
“Interest in the University of Iowa has never been greater. We received nearly 32,000 first-year student applications for the fall of 2026,” says Brent Gage, UI associate vice president for enrollment management, in the release. “These talented students are coming to us from all parts of Iowa, across the United States, and from around the world.”
From those applications came a first-year class of 5,266 students, 2,670 of them from Iowa. In 2025, the university enrolled 5,561 first-year students.
The incoming class includes students from 94 Iowa counties, 43 U.S. states and territories and 30 countries, with 17% of the class coming from rural areas. One-fifth of the group identifies as first-generation students, and the class holds an average high school grade-point average of 3.87. Of the new class, 19% are pursuing health careers.
Of the 31,382 students enrolled at the UI this fall, 23,415 are undergraduate, 6,039 are graduate and 1,928 are professional students, according to the release. New graduate and professional students to the UI totaled 1,162, joined by 1,423 postgraduate scholars.
While the number of undergraduate and professional students rose from 2025, the number of graduate students dropped by 230.
Iowa State University
Iowa State University saw a record-breaking two-year retention rate of 82.9% this fall, according to a news release, alongside an 88.3% one-year retention rate. ISU’s six-year graduation rate reached 77.2%, with 6.7% graduating in three years — both records for the university.
The university attributed these successes in part to its Learning Communities program, in which small student groups take courses together and can live in the same residence halls, calling the program “one of the university’s most successful retention initiatives in its 30 years.” According to the release, students participating in these communities have higher retention and graduation rates than those who don’t.
The university welcomed back 30,772 students to campus this fall compared to last year’s 31,105. Of the total enrollment, 16,404 students come from Iowa, with all counties represented, and the student body hails from all 50 states and 110 countries.
“Iowa State offers programs that prepare students for high-demand careers,” said Iowa State University President David Cook in the release. “Additionally, we provide holistic support to ensure students achieve their goal of graduating with an Iowa State degree. A strong one-year retention rate and record two-year retention demonstrates those efforts are working.”
ISU’s first-year class of 2026 totals 5,872 students, a drop of 288 students from 2025. Enrolled undergraduate students total 26,306 for this fall, joining 3,817 graduate students and 649 professional students.
More than 20% of undergraduate students identify as first-generation, according to the release, and nearly 16% of them are transfers. Close to 60% of the group is enrolled in a STEM major.
(Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
