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Colleges in and near Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids is home to three colleges, with about 12,000 students on campus

Kirkwood Community College (9,860 students on campus) and Coe College (1,278) are inside the city. About 6% of Cedar Rapids’ residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa (6%).

Coe CollegeMount Mercy UniversityKirkwood Community College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Cedar Rapids. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
4
13,472 students on campus
Nearest college
2 mi
Coe College
Residents in college
6%
About the same as IA (6%)
Nearest community college
3.9 mi
Kirkwood · $6,176 tuition
Nearest public university
22.1 mi
University of Iowa · $11,283 in-state
Median household income
$70K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Cedar Rapids

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

Three colleges within 3.9 milesCoe College admits 64% of applicants; Mount Mercy University admits 83%. Together they have 12,390 students on campus.A community college 3.9 miles awayKirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids: tuition and fees $6,176 a year for Iowa residents.In-state price at University of IowaLiving in Iowa, the University of Iowa charges $11,283 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $33,371. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 6% of residentsAbout the same as Iowa (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Cedar Rapids

Three private colleges within 13.4 miles, and Kirkwood Community College 3.9 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, University of Iowa, is 22.1 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miKirkwoodCoe CollegeMount Mercy UniversityCedar Rapids
University or collegeCommunity college
Coe CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,278 on campus · In Cedar Rapids64%admitted$19knet price66%graduate$57kearningsMount Mercy UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,252 on campus · In Cedar Rapids83%admitted$20knet price58%graduate$61kearningsKirkwood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 9,860 on campus · In Cedar Rapids$10knet price43%graduate$41kearningsTuition and fees: $6,176 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Cornell CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,082 on campus · 13.4 mi · Mount Vernon80%admitted$24knet price62%graduate$53kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Cedar Rapids’ median household income ($70,424) falls.

Kirkwood Community CollegeIn Cedar Rapids · sticker $15,579 · tuition $6,176$9,514a year
Coe CollegeIn Cedar Rapids · sticker $67,372$14,475a year
Mount Mercy UniversityIn Cedar Rapids · sticker $55,054$16,883a year
University of Iowa22.1 mi · Iowa City · sticker $28,596$19,930a year
Cornell College13.4 mi · Mount Vernon · sticker $66,249$20,177a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Coe CollegeMount Mercy UniversityKirkwoodCornell CollegeUniversity of Iowa
University of Iowa75% graduate$65k earnings$22k typical debt
Kirkwood Community College43% graduate$41k earnings$12k typical debt
Coe College66% graduate$57k earnings$27k typical debt
Mount Mercy University58% graduate$61k earnings$24k typical debt
Cornell College62% graduate$53k earnings$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Cedar Rapids

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Cedar Rapids’ 3 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 18%Health professions 17%Liberal arts 17%Mechanics & repair 13%Agriculture 7%Computer science 2%Everything else 26%

Biggest programs

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesKirkwood Community College · 660 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingKirkwood Community College · 140 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsKirkwood Community College · 102 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesKirkwood Community College · 80 graduates a year
$41k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMount Mercy University · 78 graduates a year
$76k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsKirkwood Community College · 59 graduates a year
$64k4 yrs out
Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsKirkwood Community College · 56 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCoe College · 50 graduates a year
$65k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Cedar Rapids

Is Cedar Rapids a college town?

No. About 6 of every 100 Cedar Rapids residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Iowa (6). The largest campus in the city, Kirkwood Community College, has 9,860 students on campus.

What colleges are in Cedar Rapids?

Kirkwood Community College, Coe College and Mount Mercy University are inside the city.

What is the closest community college to Cedar Rapids, and what does it cost?

Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, 3.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,176 a year for Iowa residents; the federal net price, $9,705, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does the University of Iowa cost if we live in Iowa?

Tuition and fees are $11,283 a year in-state and $33,371 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $15,316 (under $30,000 income) to $26,266 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Cedar Rapids. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →