Education

HIGHER EDUCATION

Award-winning universities and colleges

This is not a sales pitch. It’s the straight facts. Employers here rave about our workforce. They’re well-educated, highly skilled and willing to work. And, if our workers don’t have the skill sets your company needs, our local colleges step up and help with training.

Consistently ranked among the best universities and colleges in the nation, our schools produce some of the best and brightest!

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Coe College

www.coe.edu

Ranked among the top 20% of all colleges and universities in the U.S., Coe is a hands-on city college in the heart of Cedar Rapids. Coe places 100% of its students in internships, student research, a community-based project or a study abroad program.

Cornell College

www.cornellcollege.edu

A private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa, founded in 1953. This college consistently ranks among the best small colleges in the U.S. Cornell utilizes a block schedule, named One Course At A Time (OCAAT), where students focus intensely on just one area of study for a shorter amount of time.  

University of Iowa

www.uiowa.edu/

This BIG 10 school in Iowa City is a premier public research university and home to one of the most acclaimed medical centers in the U.S., as well as globally recognized leadership in the study and craft of writing. Iowa is known for excellence in both the arts and sciences and offers undergraduate, graduate and professional academic programs in a wide variety of fields.

Kirkwood Community College

www.kirkwood.edu/

Kirkwood consistently ranks in the top 5 colleges in Iowa for enrollment. Based in Cedar Rapids, this community college offers classes at 14 locations across 7 counties. Kirkwood bills itself as the area’s leading provider of accessible, affordable, and exceptional education and training.  

Mount Mercy University

www.mtmercy.edu/

Mount Mercy is a private Catholic liberal arts university in a beautiful, residential setting in Cedar Rapids. This school offers more than 40 undergraduate programs, as well as advanced degrees which can be completed within 12 to 18 months.