Iowa’s universities confer thousands of degrees as graduation rates climb

IOWA CITY — With an estimated 11,870 students across Iowa’s public universities expected to receive degrees during in-person and livestreamed commencement ceremonies this weekend, the regent system is reporting rising graduation rates.

The percentage of University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa undergraduate students completing degrees within the traditional four years has reached an all-time high of 60 percent — up from 52 percent four years ago and 35 percent two decades ago.

Where 66 percent graduated within six years 20 years ago, that percent is now up to 74 percent. And what was an extremely uncommon feat of graduating within three years in the early 2000s is now accomplished by 6 percent of regent system students.

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“This growth in the three-year graduation rate has been particularly strong at the University of Northern Iowa,” according to a recent 2025 Board of Regents graduation and retention report.

Where all three campuses in 2000 reported 1 percent of their entry cohort graduated in three years, that percent has surged to 11 percent at the UNI campus and 6 percent at ISU and the UI, which boasts the highest four-year graduation rate among the three at 64 percent — a record for the campus.

Of this weekend’s nearly 12,000 degree-earners, about 2,930 are graduate or professional students walking in separate ceremonies celebrating, for example, the UI College of Law, College of Medicine and College of Nursing or the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine.

All three of the universities are holding their largest undergraduate ceremonies Saturday — with both UI and ISU having two ceremonies in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and Hilton Coliseum, respectively.

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UNI has three ceremonies total — with its largest College of Humanities, Arts & Sciences graduating at 2 p.m. Saturday.

“This spring’s commencement will include several unique milestones for UNI’s graduate programs,” according to that campus, reporting its first cohort from a partnership with Des Moines Public Schools to increase school administrators in the district — enrolled through a special partnership with the College of Education — will be recognized.

“In the Wilson Henry B. Tippie College of Business, six MBA students from Shanghai will travel to Cedar Falls to walk across the stage with their classmates. And the Doctor of Education program will celebrate a record 30 graduates — the largest group in the program’s history,” the university reported.

About 88 percent of applicants are accepted into the Iowa regent system, and the 74 percent who graduate within six years is well above most campuses in that range. Campuses that accept 75 to 89 percent of their applicants average only a 60-percent six-year graduation rate.

Iowa’s graduation rate is more on par with campuses that accept 25 to 50 percent of their applicants.

“Graduation rates exceed expectations based on institutional selectively,” according to the regents report.

Across all of Iowa colleges and universities, the regent system in 2023 — the most recent data available — produced 61 percent of bachelor’s degrees, with Iowa’s private institutions producing the other 39 percent.

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Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com