Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

30 Best Universities in Iowa State for Political Science

We ranked the top 30 universities for Political Science in Iowa State based on strict academic metrics. To determine these leaders, we isolated 395.7K specialized research publications which collectively generated 12.24M citations. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

Active Filters: Political Science Iowa State Clear All

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1

Iowa City

University of Iowa

#49 in United States #53 in North America

84% Acceptance

22,738 Enrollment

1230 Avg SAT

1847 Founded

2

Ames

Iowa State University

#53 in United States #57 in North America

89% Acceptance

25,628 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

3

Fairfield, IA

Maharishi University of Management

#875 in United States #944 in North America

96% Acceptance

922 Enrollment

1310 Avg SAT

1971 Founded

4

Epworth

Divine Word College

#1854 in United States #1945 in North America

100% Acceptance

63,012 Enrollment

1010 Avg SAT

$3,083 Net Price

5

Indianola

Simpson College

#1188 in United States #1264 in North America

86% Acceptance

1,235 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1860 Founded

6

Des Moines, IA

Des Moines University – Osteopathic Medical Center

#736 in United States #804 in North America

23% Acceptance

2,109 Enrollment

1336 Avg SAT

1898 Founded

7

Dubuque

Wartburg Theological Seminary

#1800 in United States #1889 in North America

83% Acceptance

313 Enrollment

1150 Avg SAT

8

Fayette, IA

Upper Iowa University

#1163 in United States #1238 in North America

96% Acceptance

6,332 Enrollment

967 Avg SAT

1857 Founded

9

Davenport

Palmer College of Chiropractic

#712 in United States #779 in North America

49% Acceptance

511 Enrollment

$23,515 Net Price

10

Oskaloosa

William Penn University

#1559 in United States #1645 in North America

52% Acceptance

6,033 Enrollment

995 Avg SAT

1873 Founded

11

Orange City

Northwestern College

#1115 in United States #1190 in North America

80% Acceptance

1,184 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1882 Founded

12

Decorah

#690 in United States #754 in North America

72% Acceptance

1,384 Enrollment

1242 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

13

Sioux

Briar Cliff University

#1473 in United States #1559 in North America

100% Acceptance

766 Enrollment

1141 Avg SAT

1930 Founded

14

Cedar Rapids

#1058 in United States #1132 in North America

64% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1180 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

15

Grinnell

Grinnell College

#434 in United States #481 in North America

15% Acceptance

1,788 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1846 Founded

16

Des Moines, IA

Grand View University

#1465 in United States #1551 in North America

99% Acceptance

3,716 Enrollment

1120 Avg SAT

1896 Founded

17

Waverly

Wartburg College

#1041 in United States #1115 in North America

76% Acceptance

1,462 Enrollment

1065 Avg SAT

1852 Founded

18

Des Moines, IA

Drake University

#396 in United States #442 in North America

64% Acceptance

16,744 Enrollment

1230 Avg SAT

1881 Founded

19

Cedar Rapids

Mount Mercy University

#1454 in United States #1539 in North America

83% Acceptance

4,397 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1928 Founded

20

Sioux

Morningside College

#1039 in United States #1113 in North America

71% Acceptance

1,172 Enrollment

1141 Avg SAT

1894 Founded

21

Cedar Falls

University of Northern Iowa

#305 in United States #338 in North America

93% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

1150 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

22

Forest City

Waldorf University

#1435 in United States #1520 in North America

77% Acceptance

1,834 Enrollment

995 Avg SAT

1903 Founded

23

Pella

Central College

#1022 in United States #1095 in North America

86% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1088 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

24

Lamoni

Graceland University – Lamoni

#1319 in United States #1397 in North America

81% Acceptance

798 Enrollment

1185 Avg SAT

1895 Founded

25

Davenport

Saint Ambrose University

#1009 in United States #1082 in North America

77% Acceptance

6,045 Enrollment

1050 Avg SAT

1882 Founded

26

Dubuque

#1305 in United States #1383 in North America

100% Acceptance

1,123 Enrollment

1292 Avg SAT

1839 Founded

27

Sioux Center

#907 in United States #978 in North America

68% Acceptance

1,716 Enrollment

1200 Avg SAT

1955 Founded

28

Storm Lake

Buena Vista University

#1304 in United States #1382 in North America

78% Acceptance

5,734 Enrollment

1150 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

29

Dubuque

Clarke University

#891 in United States #961 in North America

72% Acceptance

1,631 Enrollment

1030 Avg SAT

1843 Founded

30

Dubuque

University of Dubuque

#1279 in United States #1357 in North America

89% Acceptance

1,440 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1852 Founded