5,727 students are using VA education benefits at 59 schools in Iowa. Of those schools, 30 take part in Yellow Ribbon, 12 charge veterans the in-state rate, and 3 carry a VA caution flag.
| School | City | Type | On VA benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University Yellow Ribbon | Ames | Public | 940 |
| University of Iowa Yellow Ribbon | Iowa City | Public | 854 |
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | Public | 474 |
| Upper Iowa University Yellow Ribbon | Fayette | Private nonprofit | 372 |
| Waldorf University Yellow Ribbon Flagged | Forest City | Private nonprofit | 367 |
| Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids | Public | 283 |
| University of Northern Iowa Yellow Ribbon | Cedar Falls | Public | 269 |
| Eastern Iowa Community Colleges | Bettendorf | Public | 166 |
| Iowa Western Community College | Council Bluffs | Public | 146 |
| Maharishi International University Yellow Ribbon | Fairfield | Private nonprofit | 142 |
| Drake University Yellow Ribbon | Des Moines | Private nonprofit | 111 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College | Sioux City | Public | 109 |
| Saint Ambrose University Yellow Ribbon | Davenport | Private nonprofit | 97 |
| Grand View University Yellow Ribbon | Des Moines | Private nonprofit | 93 |
| University of Dubuque Yellow Ribbon | Dubuque | Private nonprofit | 93 |
| Hawkeye Community College | Waterloo | Public | 92 |
| Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge | Public | 77 |
| Indian Hills Community College | Ottumwa | Public | 61 |
| Southeastern Community College | West Burlington | Public | 57 |
| Buena Vista University Yellow Ribbon | Storm Lake | Private nonprofit | 51 |
| William Penn University Yellow Ribbon | Oskaloosa | Private nonprofit | 50 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College Flagged | Estherville | Public | 46 |
| North Iowa Area Community College | Mason City | Public | 42 |
| Simpson College Yellow Ribbon | Indianola | Private nonprofit | 40 |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences Yellow Ribbon | Des Moines | Private nonprofit | 38 |
| Morningside University Yellow Ribbon | Sioux City | Private nonprofit | 38 |
| Wartburg College Yellow Ribbon | Waverly | Private nonprofit | 37 |
| Palmer College of Chiropractic-Davenport Yellow Ribbon | Davenport | Private nonprofit | 36 |
| Cornell College Yellow Ribbon | Mount Vernon | Private nonprofit | 32 |
| Marshalltown Community College | Marshalltown | Public | 31 |
| Mount Mercy University Yellow Ribbon | Cedar Rapids | Private nonprofit | 31 |
| Northwestern College Yellow Ribbon | Orange City | Private nonprofit | 31 |
| Northwest Iowa Community College | Sheldon | Public | 28 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College-Peosta | Peosta | Public | 26 |
| Loras College Yellow Ribbon | Dubuque | Private nonprofit | 25 |
| Coe College Yellow Ribbon | Cedar Rapids | Private nonprofit | 24 |
| Iowa Law Enforcement Academy | Johnston | Public | 23 |
| Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center | West Des Moines | Private nonprofit | 22 |
| Dordt University Yellow Ribbon | Sioux Center | Private nonprofit | 21 |
| Central College Yellow Ribbon | Pella | Private nonprofit | 20 |
| Clarke University Yellow Ribbon | Dubuque | Private nonprofit | 20 |
| Graceland University | Lamoni | Private nonprofit | 20 |
| Briar Cliff University Yellow Ribbon Flagged | Sioux City | Private nonprofit | 18 |
| Carver Aero LLC dba Advanced Air | Council Bluffs | Flight school | 18 |
| Southwestern Community College | Creston | Public | 17 |
| Allen College Yellow Ribbon | Waterloo | Private nonprofit | 16 |
| Grinnell College Yellow Ribbon | Grinnell | Private nonprofit | 14 |
| Luther College Yellow Ribbon | Decorah | Private nonprofit | 14 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College-Calmar | Calmar | Public | 13 |
| Southeastern Community College-Keokuk | Keokuk | Public | 13 |
| Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | Ankeny | Private nonprofit | 12 |
| St Luke's College Yellow Ribbon | Sioux City | Private nonprofit | 11 |
| Capri College-Dubuque | Dubuque | For-profit | 8 |
| Pci Academy-Ames | Ames | For-profit | 8 |
| Aveda Institute-Des Moines | West Des Moines | For-profit | 7 |
| Ellsworth Community College | Iowa Falls | Public | 7 |
| Hutton Valley School of Taxidermy | St Charles | For-profit | 6 |
| Capri College-Davenport | Davenport | For-profit | 5 |
| Orion Technical College | Davenport | For-profit | 5 |
Sorted by how many students use VA benefits there. Schools with fewer than 50 are listed without a page of their own — look them up in VA’s comparison tool.
We take nothing from schools. No referral fees, no sponsored listings, no lead generation. Everything on this page comes from VA’s own published data.
Work out what your benefit covers here with the calculator, and see what to do about the gap.
Studying toward a job rather than a credential? Employers who actively want military experience post on HireAVeteran.org, and many of them pay tuition.
If you’re staying in Iowa
Check whether the public universities here charge you the resident rate. Most are required to, regardless of how long ago you separated, and at a public school that is usually the largest single saving available to you — larger than most scholarships.
Then ask each school what it will award for your military training, in writing, before you enroll. The answer varies by a full year between schools.
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