The University of Iowa again tied for the No. 1 spot in undergraduate nursing programs among public universities, while continuing to offer the best public writing program in the country, according to the latest rankings published by U.S. News & World Report.
Writing across disciplines: among elite company
Iowa’s unmatched writing-related resources prepare its graduates for success in many fields. This level of excellence positions Iowa as the best public university for writing and communication.
Iowa tied for the No. 4 ranking among all public and private universities for undergraduate nursing programs, behind Emory, Duke, and Penn. The UI College of Nursing is nationally renowned for developing future health care providers and leaders. The undergraduate program leverages the expertise of world-class faculty and unparalleled clinical experiences to prepare students for rewarding careers.
This year, Iowa is ranked No. 9 among all public and private universities for writing in the disciplines. Moreover, Iowa is the only public university in this category, sitting among many Ivy League schools. Iowa is known as the “Writing University” largely because of world-renowned graduate programs such as the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the Nonfiction Writing Program, but the university’s commitment to helping all students build strong writing and communication skills is evident across campus and in every field of study.
Iowa also appears for the first time in the undergraduate insurance category. Its No. 8 ranking coincides with the recent transformational faculty hire of Martin Grace to lead the Tippie College of Business’ risk management and insurance program, which has more than 200 undergraduates registered as majors since its inception in fall 2023.
Amy Kristof-Brown, dean of the Tippie College of Business, says Grace’s appointment demonstrates Iowa’s ongoing commitment to supporting one of the state’s economic pillars.
“The risk management and insurance industry is the largest nonagricultural economic sector in the state of Iowa and makes up 11% of the state’s economy,” Kristof-Brown says. “Hiring a distinguished scholar of Martin’s magnitude is another investment we’re making to prepare students to work in this very important industry. Along with the early internship program called Insure Your Future, Tippie is poised to become an academic and talent development powerhouse in risk management and insurance.”
The university’s ranking among public universities is No. 46, and the overall ranking is No. 98.
The U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings factor in numerous variables for the nation’s public and private universities, including student outcomes (such as rates of graduation and retention), assessment by academic peers, faculty resources and scholarly work, and overall financial resources.
Iowa’s 2025 rankings include:
4. Undergraduate nursing programs
8. Insurance
9. Writing in the disciplines
26. Analytics
27. Undergraduate business programs
38. Management
42. Accounting
43. Finance
46. Top public schools
53. Undergraduate psychology programs
63. Best colleges for Veterans
65. Undergraduate economics programs
71. Undergraduate engineering programs, doctorate
73. Undergraduate computer science programs
98. Overall rank
The full rankings and methodology can be found on the U.S. News website.