<p>The University of Iowa is one of America's premier public research universities.</p><p><br></p><p>Founded in 1847, it is the state's oldest institution of higher education and is located alongside the picturesque Iowa River in Iowa City.</p><p><br></p><p>A member of the Association of American Universities since 1909 and the Big Ten Conference since 1899, the University of Iowa is home to one of the most acclaimed academic medical centers in the country, as well as globally recognized leadership in the study and craft of writing. Iowa is known for excellence in both the arts and sciences, offering world-class undergraduate, graduate, and professional academic programs in a wide variety of fields.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>At Iowa, students will find everything they'd expect from a Big Ten school: an awesome campus, exciting gamedays, and lots of school pride. But from the first time students witness the Hawkeye wave, they will see that being a big family doesn’t stop us from caring about every single member.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>With hundreds of communities and clubs, dedicated student support resources, and the perfect college town to call home, there’s a place for everyone at Iowa. University of Iowa wants to help students find theirs.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Why University of Iowa</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li><u>Campus Life</u>:&nbsp;There are living communities where students can choose to live with groups of students that share their major and interests, or connect to a cultural community on campus. There's no better way to make lasting connections at Iowa than living in one of the residence halls. And with a free campus bus system and an easily walkable campus, it's easy to get out and explore.&nbsp;</li><li><u>Location</u>: The campus seamlessly blends into downtown Iowa City, which makes it easy to get wherever students need to go. In fact, most first-year classes are located within the same three-block radius. And the center of it all is just across the street from a lively downtown with all the restaurants, entertainment, and amenities students will find in a big city.</li><li><u>Diversity</u>: University of Iowa is committed to celebrating the experiences, perspectives, ambitions that make each of us unique. The students, faculty and staff create a welcoming, inclusive environment for students from every background.</li><li><u>Top-Ranked Programs</u>:&nbsp;Hawkeyes built the most comprehensive medical center in the state, pioneered top-ranked programs in speech pathology and audiology, established a space physics powerhouse that is a vital NASA partner, and have been world leaders in hydroscience for a century.&nbsp;</li></ul><p><br></p>