2023 Best Colleges in the Cedar Rapids Area

• Iowa City, IA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  3,795 reviews

Sophomore: It's easy to navigate, there are plenty of resources and opportunities for help if needed, and the staff is nice. It was a warm welcoming and pleasant surprise to attend the college. The curriculum is refreshing and challenging as it pushes you to take the imitative and learn things on your own but with the guidance of course. They have excellent hands-on activities in the science courses. The school is booming with extracurricular activities so it's easy to find something fun to do or a club to join! The cost of tuition is a value price and you get your money's worth from what is offered.... Read 3,795 reviews

• grade A

• Acceptance rate 86%

• Net price $17,599

• SAT range 1130-1350

• Mount Vernon, IA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.39 out of 5  743 reviews

Sophomore: I am from San Francisco, and it was a very big change going from California to Iowa but Cornell College really made it feel easy, except for the snow and the cold! I love most of the professors and they are all very dedicated to their subjects and classes. The campus is gorgeous and very nice, if not a bit hilly. The main hub of campus, Thomas Commons, is a nice place to relax every once in a while when I don’t want to go to my dorm room or just want a place to sit for a bit. I like the sense of comfort I have when walking around campus and the student body, a feeling probably started by our incredibly kind President Brand. While the upperclassmen dorms are a bit rough, they’re okay and livable (sometimes, hahaha). Overall there is little I’d change; I really do feel supported here both as a person and as a student.... Read 743 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 81%

• Net price $22,667

• SAT range 1130-1340

• Cedar Rapids, IA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.7 out of 5  514 reviews

Senior: I have had a wonderful experience during my time at Coe College. I attribute my academic successes to my professors. I am a biology major on a pre-medicine track, and the majority of my professors have wanted nothing but to see each of their students succeed. I have yet to have a professor who did not prioritize building relationships with their students, and I have yet to have a prof who has not taken it upon themselves to learn each of their student's names at the least. Additionally, the Coe College community is one that you will not find anywhere else. I grew up in small town Iowa and was used to being apart of a community that had differences in opinions and lifestyles. However, the politics overran this town. At Coe, differences in opinions are set aside and points of likeness are what binds this small campus that much tighter. By far the best decision I have ever made by choosing to attend Coe College.... Read 514 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 73%

• Net price $19,141

• SAT range 1080-1300

• Cedar Rapids, IA•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  292 reviews

Freshman: Mount Mercy is a great university. The staff and students are friendly. The professors really care about your success and do everything they can to make sure you are successful. There are so many resources available to students like ACE (Academic Center for Excellence), the Mustang Market, and office hours with professors. By utilizing these things, I was able to make it through my freshman year of college.... Read 292 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 81%

• Net price $25,345

• SAT range —