The University of Iowa and Iowa State dropped in the rankings on the 2025 U.S. News Best College list, but one university remained in the top 100.

While the Wall Street Journal favored Iowa State University as the best public college in the state of Iowa, U.S. News has a different take placing the University of Iowa 23 spots higher.

U.S. News divides its ranking into four categories: national universities, national liberal arts colleges, regional universities and regional colleges. The regional colleges and universities were ranked by region and not compared nationally, the publication said.

Three schools in Iowa made the top 200 for national universities and six made the top 200 for national liberal arts colleges. Grinnell College earned the highest rank of any school on a national list, coming in at No. 19 for national liberal arts colleges.

Which Iowa university ranked the best, according to U.S. News?

The University of Iowa had the best overall rank out of the six Iowa schools included on U.S. News’ 2025 Best College list for national universities at No. 98. But, its ranking did drop from last year, when it ranked No. 93 on the 2024 list.

Iowa State University was the second best out of all the schools listed. Iowa State University also dropped from No. 115 on the 2024 list to No. 121 for 2025, according to the Gazette.

More: Former UI staffer charged after audit alleges he diverted $1 million from his department

How did each Iowa university rank?

Here are all of the universities in Iowa that were ranked by U.S. News for 2025:

• University of Iowa: No. 98
• Iowa State University: No. 121
• Drake University: No. 179
• Saint Ambrose University: No. 315
• Clark University: No. 329
• Briar Cliff University: No. 371

The University of Northern Iowa is classified as a regional university, by U.S. News and ranked No. 11 in the Midwest. Dordt University also made the Midwest list at No. 6.

More: What’s the top private college in Iowa? See what the Wall Street Journal says.

Which Iowa liberal arts college ranked best?

Grinnell College made the Top 20 for national liberal arts colleges, coming in tied at No. 19 with Middlebury College in Vermont and Washington and Lee University in Virginia.

How did each Iowa liberal arts college rank?

• Grinnell College: No. 19
• Luther College: No. 108
• Central College: No. 126
• Cornell College: No. 132
• Coe College: No. 136
• Wartburg College: No. 158

Simpson College was classified as a regional college by U.S. News and ranked No. 6 in the Midwest. Loras College also made the regional list at No. 12.

More: Which of Iowa’s universities has the most students? Little change in fall 2024 enrollment

How did other schools do?

Here are the top five universities in America, according to U.S. News.

1. Princeton University
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Harvard University
4. Stanford University
5. Yale University

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

AMES, Iowa (KCRG) – With a win at Houston, Matt Campbell will move past Dan McCarney as the all time winningest coach at Iowa State.

“I’ve been really fortunate to have great people stay here for a long time and have longevity,” said Campbell. “We’ve had staff members that have stayed the course here and had the opportunity to leave, I would say the same thing for our players.”

“Those things are way more than winning and losing football games be honest with you creating culture.”

“Coach Campbell is not somebody that goes out and talks about stuff like that,” said wide receiver Jayden Higgins. “But it’s really big to the team and then the organization as a whole. He’s just contributed so much and we want to get that win.”

“He hasn’t talked about it much yet, but we all know it,” said quarterback Rocco Becht. “It is going to be important for us to go out there and get that one for him because he means so much to us and we trust in him, so just go out and fight for him on Saturday.”

Iowa State will take on Houston Saturday at 6:00 pm on FS1.

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

AMES – It’s not easy for an athletic department to go from the Group of 5 to the Power 4. It’s incredibly difficult, actually. 

And it’s probably most difficult for the football programs within those athletic departments. They, and the money they hope to generate, are the reason for the move, and yet they are the most disadvantaged by it on the field. When you’re facing the teams that historically could poach your best recruits on a whim at the 11^th hour, you’re gonna have a problem. 

That was certainly the case for the Big 12’s four newcomers last year. BYU, Cincinnati, UCF and Houston went a combined 4-24 against the league’s legacy programs in 2023. Houston was the only team to accrue two wins against those Power 4 mainstays, and coach Dana Holgorsen got fired for his efforts. 

That puts the Cougars in a doubly difficult spot – trying to level up in a league while also implementing a culture of a first-year coach. 

More: Join Travis Hines’ Cyclone Insider text-messaging group for behind-the-scenes access

“You throw in the two mixes of new league and new coaching staff,” Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell said Tuesday, “that’s just unique.  

“It’s not easy.” 

Houston coach Willie Fritz would certainly appear to be up for the job, with Tulane’s turnaround under his watch the most recent accomplishment in a career that spans three decades and includes four Division I head coaching stops. 

But there’s a lot of work to do. 

More: Hines: How Iowa State football set up and executed Ben Brahmer’s big play Saturday

The Cougars will host No. 19 Iowa State (3-0) on Saturday (6 p.m.; FS1) with a 1-3 record that most recently added a 34-0 loss to fellow Big 12 newcomer Cincinnati. They played No. 18 Oklahoma tough in a road loss, but a 27-7 season-opening home setback to UNLV certainly doesn’t inspire confidence that this team may be better than its early outcomes. 

“They’ve got elite playmakers and elite talent,” Campbell countered, “and it’s just trying to find that consistency.  

“Any time there’s a coaching change, you’re trying to create the mentality that you want, and there’s going to be a little bit of inconsistency at times.” 

More: Hines: Matt Campbell is set to become Iowa State football’s winningest coach

Houston’s situation, to state the obvious, is quite different than Iowa State’s. Though they are not unrelated. 

The Cyclones will head to Texas riding just the second 3-0 start for the program in the last decade, with a top-20 ranking and real designs on a Big 12 title game appearance. Much of those Big 12 aspirations – and the College Football Playoff implications associated with them – are tied to a schedule that features, well, several teams like Houston. 

Which is to say, eminently winnable games. 

This, of course, is not a ‘must-win’ game in September for the Cyclones, but it definitely is a ‘should win.’ Campbell talked last week about building momentum with the 52-7 win over Arkansas State, and the Cyclones’ November prospects will be hugely determined by the momentum they can build in this stretch of their schedule. 

With games against the Cougars, Baylor (2-2), at West Virginia (2-2) and UCF (3-0) rounding out the October schedule, this is where Iowa State can establish itself as a true Big 12 and national threat. It could also establish itself as a team capable of playing good football but also losing against so-so competition.  

More: Hines: Iowa State football shows its potential in runaway victory over Arkansas State

To demand a 7-0 record heading into the season’s final month is probably a bit much, but, looking at what Iowa State has on its roster and these teams on its schedule, anything short of 6-1 probably feels like a major missed opportunity, right? 

Just like Iowa State did against the Red Wolves last week, now is the time for simply taking care of business. Style points are nice, but convincing performances and wins are better. 

They’re nearly essential for Iowa State to piece together the type of special season it last enjoyed in 2020, and completely required if the Cyclones want to exceed what that team full of future NFL players accomplished. 

A trip to a rebuilding Houston program isn’t the most exciting way to open Big 12 play, but, with the heights Iowa State hopes to reach this season, every single step matters. Even the easy strides can threaten a stumble, and they’re essential to get where you want to go.

Iowa State columnist Travis Hines has covered the Cyclones for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune since 2012. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.