Does Iowa need a 4th public university?

[lucas80]

I'm not sure if this is still plugging along, or didn't make the cut?
Not a lot of specifics in this article, but do you think Iowa has the need? It is being proposed to be in Western Iowa, possibly Pottawattamie County.
https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/hou...-on-creating-fourth-public-university-in-iowa

 

[tarheelbybirth]

NC has 16 public universities for 11.2M people. Iowa has 3 for 3.25M?

 

[WSC72]

I'm not sure if this is still plugging along, or didn't make the cut?
Not a lot of specifics in this article, but do you think Iowa has the need? It is being proposed to be in Western Iowa, possibly Pottawattamie County.
https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/hou...-on-creating-fourth-public-university-in-iowa

Counciltucky State U?

 

[Sullivan]

I'm not sure if this is still plugging along, or didn't make the cut?
Not a lot of specifics in this article, but do you think Iowa has the need? It is being proposed to be in Western Iowa, possibly Pottawattamie County.
https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/hou...-on-creating-fourth-public-university-in-iowa

No.

 

[ZachJump]

I have never heard of an over enrollment problem at any of the three that exists.

Sounds like a lot of money upfront, that will just take money from the 3 in the future, to solve a non existent problem.

 

[Kelsers]

I'm not sure if this is still plugging along, or didn't make the cut?
Not a lot of specifics in this article, but do you think Iowa has the need? It is being proposed to be in Western Iowa, possibly Pottawattamie County.
https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/hou...-on-creating-fourth-public-university-in-iowa

Why would you with the infrastructure already in place?

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

No. Should only have 1 to start with.

 

[MitchLL]

Good luck getting this State to allow funding for higher education!

 

[millah_22]

I'm not sure if this is still plugging along, or didn't make the cut?
Not a lot of specifics in this article, but do you think Iowa has the need? It is being proposed to be in Western Iowa, possibly Pottawattamie County.
https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/hou...-on-creating-fourth-public-university-in-iowa

Might be better off in Sioux City. They already have Briar Cliff and Morningside, but no public options besides WITCC. It's bigger than Council Bluffs, but the Omaha metro just hit 1million.

Council Bluffs is like 5 miles from UNO, and 60 miles from UNL. So, there's that.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

No, have the three universities then Drake University, which is private. Add in all the small colleges around the state and there are too many of them as a whole.

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

Regional Universities or other he lack is one reason why Iowa is low on college degrees.

That said the get deals from UNO and WIU

 

[Hawgk]

This seems dumb. I thought they already cut a lot of the smaller programs/majors at UNI due to low enrollment and basically said, “well if you want that major you can just get it at Iowa or ISU”,

 

[SoDakHawk]

Might be better off in Sioux City. They already have Briar Cliff and Morningside, but no public options besides WITCC. It's bigger than Council Bluffs, but the Omaha metro just hit 1million.

Council Bluffs is like 5 miles from UNO, and 60 miles from UNL. So, there's that.

University of South Dakota is 20 minutes up the road from Sioux City. Serves NW Iowa as USD gives Iowa residents in-state tuition.

No need for another school in Iowa.

 

[lucas80]

Good luck getting this State to allow funding for higher education!

A study suggests some level of desire to fund by someone. IF that someone matters, I don't know. The potential placement probably holds a clue.
Just a guess, but someone wants a new, non woke, no DEI university where young people are taught the truth.

 

[millah_22]

A study suggests some level of desire to fund by someone. IF that someone matters, I don't know. The potential placement probably holds a clue.
Just a guess, but someone wants a new, non woke, no DEI university where young people are taught the truth.

Hinton, IA.

 

[joelbc1]

The Iowa legislature cannot finance what is out there now.

 

[jaxhawk06]

They will somehow have more NIL money than Iowa

 

[Hammerhead02]

Nobody needs to live or go to school west of Des Moines.

 

[Doodads and Hoohah]

Are they really public if a majority of their income is from tuition?

 

[torbee]

Ames and UNI should be abolished and Iowa City made a proper flagship campus like UW or Minnesota

 

[JasonTAlexanderJR]

WTH. Everyone knows theres an enrollment cliff coming

 

[TJ8869]

NC has 16 public universities for 11.2M people. Iowa has 3 for 3.25M?

Several of those are much smaller than Iowa’s public universities.

Iowa has three public 4-year universities with a total undergraduate enrollment of 54,547 students. That’s one student per every 59.43 residents, based on the 2024 estimated population of 3.24M.

North Carolina has 15 public 4-year universities with a total undergraduate enrollment of 182,314 students. That one student per every 60.59 residents, based on the 2024 estimated population of 11.05M.

If we compare Iowa to similar sized blue states:

Oregon
Population - 4.27M
Public 4-year universities - 7
Total undergraduate enrollment - 73,587
Resident/student ratio - 58.06

Connecticut
Population - 3.68M
Public 4-year universities - 6
Total undergraduate enrollment - 41,829
Resident/student ratio - 87.86

Nevada
Population - 3.27M
Public 4-year universities - 3
Total undergraduate enrollment - 45,219
Resident/student ratio - 72.26

Based strictly on these numbers I’d say Iowa compares pretty well to other states.

 

[shiphappens]

Just a guess, but someone wants a new, non woke, no DEI university where young people are taught the truth.

Steve King State University. The Patriots. Choose from a variety of schools:
Trump school of Business
Musk school of Technology
Rittenhouse school of Law Enforcement
Grassley school of HIStory

 

[Titanhawk2]

I'm not sure if this is still plugging along, or didn't make the cut?
Not a lot of specifics in this article, but do you think Iowa has the need? It is being proposed to be in Western Iowa, possibly Pottawattamie County.
https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/hou...-on-creating-fourth-public-university-in-iowa

Kirkwood basically is

 

[UKGrad93]

The Iowa legislature cannot finance what is out there now.

Exactly what I was going to say.

 

[lucas80]

Several of those are much smaller than Iowa’s public universities.

Iowa has three public 4-year universities with a total undergraduate enrollment of 54,547 students. That’s one student per every 59.43 residents, based on the 2024 estimated population of 3.24M.

North Carolina has 15 public 4-year universities with a total undergraduate enrollment of 182,314 students. That one student per every 60.59 residents, based on the 2024 estimated population of 11.05M.

If we compare Iowa to similar sized blue states:

Oregon
Population - 4.27M
Public 4-year universities - 7
Total undergraduate enrollment - 73,587
Resident/student ratio - 58.06

Connecticut
Population - 3.68M
Public 4-year universities - 6
Total undergraduate enrollment - 41,829
Resident/student ratio - 87.86

Nevada
Population - 3.27M
Public 4-year universities - 3
Total undergraduate enrollment - 45,219
Resident/student ratio - 72.26

Based strictly on these numbers I’d say Iowa compares pretty well to other states.

Fair enough, but similar in population, but drastically different in population density and geography. Oregon's 2 biggest schools are about 50 miles apart in the I-5 corridor, and I assume Portland St is another one of their 4 state schools. So, you have 3 within 100 miles? That leaves a whole lot of the state left. The same for Nevada. Big, mostly empty, state. Connecticut is highly dense population wise.
This proposal is weird because it would be like building a new university in La Grande, OR, or Winnemucca, NV.
Personally with the excellent system of junior colleges, and the private school options, Iowa is covered pretty well. The one thing Iowa does not do well, compared to some of our neighbors, is have reciprocal tuition. Kids in Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas (I think), all enjoy the chance to pay the same tuition for their instate school at another state's school. Handy when you live in NW Minnesota and multiple Dakota schools are close by, and UMTC is 5+ hours away.

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

IMO, no, Iowa does not need another state university. I have heard rumors that Iowa Western CC has been considering becoming a 4 year university though.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Iowa absolutely does not need another BOR school. Beyond stupid.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

But this bill is clearly eyed at moving Western Iowa Comm. College to a public university.

I'm sorry, but folks in western Iowa don't value education

 

[joelbc1]

But this bill is clearly eyed at moving Western Iowa Comm. College to a public university.

I'm sorry, but folks in western Iowa don't value education

Maybe they will offer a Masters or PhD in “MAGA Studies”…. Or “MAGANOMICS”…with a specialty in Tariffs….

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

This seems dumb. I thought they already cut a lot of the smaller programs/majors at UNI due to low enrollment and basically said, “well if you want that major you can just get it at Iowa or ISU”,

Totally dumb. UNI enrollment is down about 30% compared to twenty years ago. College enrollment nationwide is declining. But sure, let’s build another state school right now. Brilliant.