Choosing a college is a huge decision, one that will impact one’s entire life, far beyond their four years in school. This life-changing choice needs to be made with careful consideration. A majority of students end up attending one of the public state schools, including the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa. These schools offer many advantages such as more affordable in-state tuition prices and a wide variety of program opportunities. However, it can often be difficult to decide which of these three schools is the right fit for an individual. To do so, one must figure out which school offers the most of what they are looking for out of a college.

The University of Iowa is the closest of the three universities to Pleasant Valley, located about one hour away in Iowa City. With an 81% acceptance rate, there are approximately 23,000 undergraduate students attending Iowa this year. For in-state students, the average cost of attendance is $19,000. The university offers over 200 academic programs of study and is especially known for its nursing and business programs. On top of that, Iowa has a very good program for undecided majors. Students enjoy a wide variety of student organizations on campus, with one of the most popular being Dance Marathon. The school is also in the middle of downtown Iowa City, and students often spend their time there. Bridget Jouers, University of Iowa freshman, said, “I enjoy the opportunities Iowa offers to its students. The students here have so many opportunities to get involved because the university and the city are so closely connected. It’s so easy to find student organizations, clubs, jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities around campus.”

Iowa State University is located in Ames, about three hours away. The city of Ames was even voted as the second most livable small city in America by the New Rating Guide to Life in America’s Small Cities. There are around 30,000 undergraduates and an 87% acceptance rate. The average cost of attendance for an Iowa resident is approximately $18,000. The university offers over 100 majors and is especially known for their engineering and agriculture programs. There are over 800 clubs and student organizations available on campus; there is something available for all interests. Greek life is also a very prominent aspect of life on campus. Leo Bormann, Iowa State University sophomore, said, “My favorite thing about Iowa State is that it has a small campus feeling with a large student population. Also, there are so many student organizations that there is seriously something that can catch anyone’s interests.”

The University of Northern Iowa is in Cedar Falls and is about two hours and twenty minutes away from Bettendorf. The smallest of the three state schools, there are about 10,000 undergraduate students. The school has an 80% acceptance rate, and the average cost of attendance for in-state students is around $20,000. There are over 90 undergraduate majors, and the school is especially known for their programs in education and management. In fact, it is known as the best education program in the state of Iowa. There are over 250 student organizations available, with Love Your Melon and Dance Marathon being the most popular. Compared to the other state universities, Greek life is not as big on campus. Meredith Gorman, University of Northern Iowa junior, said, “One of my favorite things about UNI is the size of campus. You can get from one side to another in about ten minutes, which is awesome, especially in the winter! I also enjoy the smaller class sizes because you really get to know your professors and classmates on a more personal level.”

Choosing a college is a huge decision, one that needs to be made carefully. Overall, however, one’s choice of college should be the place where they feel the happiest.