For University of Iowa leaders, few causes matter more than keeping an Iowa education affordable and accessible. Our focus on costs and value has paid off.

We led the call for what became a multi-year tuition freeze for Iowa’s public universities. We have increased financial aid funding, offering $65 million in undergraduate support during fiscal year 2015. We’ve introduced initiatives like the Summer Hawk Tuition Grant that help students graduate on time and on budget.

For 2015-2016, our undergraduate resident tuition and fees of $8,104 are well under the $11,885 average for other schools in the university’s designated peer group (Big Ten publics plus other comparable universities). Our nonresident tuition also remains low compared to peers, $27,890 versus an average of $31,590.

We are careful to moderate our reliance on tuition, advocating for essential state support, cultivating new sources of revenue, and actively reducing costs. The fact that we’ve kept tuition relatively low signals our success.

Of course price is only one factor in the value equation. The new college scorecard rates the University of Iowa below the national average for costs, but above average on measures of retention and graduation, salary after attending, and debt repayment.

Not every benefit of an Iowa education can be precisely measured. We want our students to gain a better understanding of themselves and their world, strong intellectual foundations, and lifelong curiosity.

Higher education profoundly shapes our students’ careers, values, and lives. That’s why affordability and access matter so much.

Jean Robillard, MD
Interim President
Vice President for Medical Affairs