Best Online Colleges in Iowa of 2023

The University of Iowa offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificate programs taught by nationally recognized faculty. At University of Iowa Online, you'll find nearly 750 online courses to choose from, so whatever your goals and passions are, there's a way to explore them at UI. The online Bachelor of Applied Studies and Bachelor of Liberal Studies degrees are especially popular, as these enable you to build your own interdisciplinary curriculum to complete your degree. Whether you want to enroll in a full degree program or just take a course or two as a nondegree student, UI Online works with you to help you find what fits your needs.

Iowa State University's online graduate degree and certificate programs are among the most unique in the country. Besides a handful of undergraduate programs, ISU Online offers dozens of graduate options, some of which can't be found at any other university. If you're interested in studying agriculture, there's no better place than ISU, which has an entire college devoted to this field, with graduate degrees and certificates in subjects like Agricultural Education, Plant Breeding, Seed Technology and Business, and Agronomy. ISU also offers unique degree and certificate programs in fields such as Family Financial Planning, Community College Leadership, a range of Engineering and Computer Science subjects, and Healthcare Analytics and Operations.

The University of Northern Iowa has an entire department devoted to Individual Studies, so it's safe to say that as a UNI student, you have countless opportunities to customize your learning path. You can earn a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Liberal Studies, or Bachelor of Applied Science through the Individual Studies department, which enables you to craft your own curriculum or take a customizable preprofessional curriculum in business, nursing, radiography, sonography, or human services. If you're looking for a graduate degree, UNI offers a wide range of master's degrees in various Education specializations. Whatever way you proceed, the spirit of personalization is woven throughout all of UNI's online programs.

Buena Vista University's online and hybrid programs are not just flexible and accessible but also highly supportive. From start to finish, your student success specialist, advisor, and financial specialist work with you hand in hand to ensure that you finish your degree and hopefully enjoy the process. The support staff can help you navigate everything from course selection to understanding your tuition bill. Furthermore, BVU has partnerships with 10 Iowa community colleges and gives you the option to start your education at a community college and finish your degree at BVU. This can save you serious money over the course of your studies.

Mount Mercy University is a Catholic institution that combines academic excellence with service, ethical leadership, and social responsibility. At the undergraduate level, you can choose from bachelor's degree majors in traditional fields like Business or Management, more specialized fields like Healthcare Management, a highly customizable program in Liberal Studies, or Christian fields like Religious Studies. At the graduate level, you can choose from a Master of Arts in Education, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Nursing, and Master of Strategic Leadership. MMU also offers several career-oriented certificates in fields such as Advanced Couples Therapy, Human Resources, and Leadership and Social Justice.

Graceland University is grounded in the liberal arts. Whatever your major or degree field, you will be immersed in a liberal arts educational environment that values personal attention, academic exploration, and close interactions between students and faculty. Graceland is an institution sponsored by Community of Christ and approaches education from the belief that all people are worthy of love and acceptance. You'll find a welcoming community at Graceland that prizes intellectual curiosity and engagement, regardless of whether you study on campus or online. You can major in Business Management, Nursing, or Organizational Leadership entirely online or you can pursue a graduate degree in various Nurse Practitioner specializations, Peace and Social Transformation, and Religious Studies, to name a few.

Northwestern College offers many undergraduate and graduate degrees and certifications in Education fields, as well as several degrees in Counseling. At the bachelor's degree level, you can major in Early Childhood Education with or without licensure, entirely online, or you can pursue an RN to BSN degree. At the graduate level, you can choose from Master of Education degrees such as Early Childhood, Teacher Leadership, Master Teacher, and Special Education. You also have the option to pursue graduate-level Education endorsements in every topic, from Birth Through Grade Three Inclusive Setting to Principal to Coaching to Computer Science. Education is Northwestern College Online's strong suit, so if you're contemplating becoming a teacher, this school could be an especially good fit for you.

Maharishi International University is unlike any other university on this list. Founded by Maharishi Maresh Yogi, MIU adheres to a consciousness-based education philosophy that places self-knowledge at the center. Your coursework will include practices like transcendental meditation. At MIU, you can major in consciousness-based fields you won't find at traditional American universities. At the undergraduate level, you can choose from degrees like a Bachelor of Art in Ayurveda Wellness and Integrative Health, a Bachelor of Art in Cinematic Arts and New Media, or a bachelor's degree with a specialization in unique fields such as Consciousness & Human Potential, Regenerative Organic Agriculture, or Creative Writing. You have the option to study most of these fields at the graduate level as well, and can even earn an online MBA or PhD.

Saint Ambrose University faculty foster a sense of warmth and community in their student-centered online classes. With an average student-faculty ratio of 12:1, your classes will be small, and you'll have many opportunities to interact with your classmates and professors, which makes the online format feel more personal and collaborative. As a Catholic institution, St. Ambrose is committed to your holistic development, not just as a student, but as a person. At the undergraduate level, you can earn a Bachelor of Art in Psychology or a Bachelor of Business Administration, with several options to specialize your degree to your particular interests, including Accounting Management and Cybersecurity Management. At the graduate level, you can choose among an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work, Master of Organizational Leadership, Master of Business Administration, or Master of Public Health online degree. In all of St. Ambrose's programs, you'll work closely with your peers and get to know and interact with your professors.

Upper Iowa University gives you multiple nontraditional learning formats to choose from. You can pursue a 100% asynchronous online program, where you can complete assignments and other course requirements day or night. These programs start every few weeks, so you never need to wait more than two months to begin. You can also elect to take self-paced courses in web format, where you work at your own pace and receive one-on-one feedback and guidance from a professor. Alternatively, you can take uiuLive Courses, which meet at set times every week but can be attended remotely via Zoom. Finally, if you prefer to learn on pen and paper, UIU even offers a self-paced via mail learning option, where materials are sent to you via postal mail or email and where you return assignments in the same fashion.