Sep 23, 2025 - News
University of Iowa slips, Iowa State edges up in U.S. News ranking
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Many of Iowa's top colleges and universities lost ground in this year's U.S. News rankings.
State of play: The 2026 Best Colleges report, released Tuesday, shows the University of Iowa and Drake University each dropping four spots in the national universities category.
- Clarke dropped 23 spots, St. Ambrose tumbled 37 and Brair Cliff sank 13.
Yes, but: Iowa State University edged up four spots.
- And several improved their positions on the liberal arts list, including Grinnell, Cornell, Wartburg, and Coe colleges.
- Simpson College was fifth on the Best Regional Colleges Midwest Rankings, up one spot from last year.