Established in 1847, the University of Iowa is the first public institution of higher learning among Iowa colleges. This major national research university is located on a 1,900-acre campus and is composed of 11 colleges, the largest of which is the College of liberal arts and Sciences, enrolling most of Iowa's undergraduates. More than 29,000 students enroll at the university each year.

The University of Iowa has won international recognition for its wealth of achievements in the arts, sciences, and humanities. It was the first institution of higher education in the nation to accept creative work in theater, writing, music, and art as theses for advanced degrees. A comprehensive public university with a long-standing commitment to teaching, research, and service, it established the first law school west of the Mississippi and operates one of the nation's most advanced university-owned teaching hospitals.

The University of Iowa both provides and attracts a wide variety of cultural opportunities, Big Ten athletic events, and a number of business endeavors resulting from scientific and educational research that originated at Iowa. All through the year major poets, writers, artists, historians, scientists, and others speak or perform in university venues or give readings at local bookstores. Safe and comfortable neighborhoods, along with a highly-educated population, frequently land Iowa City high on national magazine listings of the "best places to live."