by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. This list highlights 62 institutions by ethnic diversity in Iowa, using our 2026 methodology.
This ranking is based on the racial and ethnic makeup of the student body. To arm you with the information you need, College Factual reviewed 62 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Not every student measures diversity the same way. Refine the list by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Want to compare schools head to head? Check out College Combat to weigh schools on the factors you care about most.
Explore the leading colleges below:
Our analysis found Maharishi International University to be the most ethnically diverse college in Iowa. Maharishi International University scores 73.4 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 73.4, and gender diversity 99.4.
Graceland University-Lamoni earned the #2 place in Iowa. It scores 69.4 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 69.4, and gender diversity 99.7.
A rank of #3 makes Grinnell College one of the most ethnically diverse colleges in Iowa. Grinnell College scores 67.5 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 67.5, alongside a 99.6 gender-diversity score.
You'll find a welcoming community at Upper Iowa University, which ranked #4 this year. Upper Iowa University scores 66.7 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 66.7, and gender diversity 97.5.
Clarke University earned the #5 place in Iowa. The school's ethnic diversity score is 63.9 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 63.9, and gender diversity 100.0.
Grand View University landed the #6 spot in Iowa this year. On ethnic diversity, it scores 63.4 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 63.4, with a gender-diversity score of 98.5.
William Penn University placed #7 among the most ethnically diverse colleges in Iowa. William Penn University scores 63.1 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 63.1, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
La James International College-Davenport earned the #8 position in Iowa. On ethnic diversity, it scores 63.1 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 63.1, and gender diversity 20.8.
Iowa Central Community College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the most ethnically diverse colleges. The school's ethnic diversity score is 62.9 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 62.9, alongside a 99.4 gender-diversity score.
Iowa Western Community College landed the #10 spot in Iowa this year. Iowa Western Community College scores 62.5 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 62.5, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Mount Mercy University placed #11 among the most ethnically diverse colleges in Iowa. It scores 60.4 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 60.4, with a gender-diversity score of 94.1.
Marshalltown Community College earned the #12 position in Iowa. Marshalltown Community College scores 59.5 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 59.5, and gender diversity 97.6.
Waldorf University landed the #13 spot in Iowa this year. The school's ethnic diversity score is 59.3 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 59.3, alongside a 95.9 gender-diversity score.
Coe College placed #14 among the most ethnically diverse colleges in Iowa. Coe College scores 59.1 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 59.1, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
La James International College-Johnston came in at #15 in this year's ranking. It scores 58.8 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 58.8, alongside a 20.5 gender-diversity score.
Western Iowa Tech Community College ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the most ethnically diverse colleges. The school's ethnic diversity score is 58.0 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 58.0, with a gender-diversity score of 95.8.
Orion Technical College ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the most ethnically diverse colleges. It scores 56.0 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 56.0, and gender diversity 100.0.
Briar Cliff University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the most ethnically diverse colleges. The school's ethnic diversity score is 55.6 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 55.6, alongside a 98.2 gender-diversity score.
The Salon Professional Academy ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the most ethnically diverse colleges. The school's ethnic diversity score is 55.4 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 55.4, with a gender-diversity score of 88.4.
Southeastern Community College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Southeastern Community College scores 53.7 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 53.7, with a gender-diversity score of 96.8.
Des Moines Area Community College landed the #21 spot in Iowa this year. The school's ethnic diversity score is 53.1 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 53.1, and gender diversity 99.4.
University of Dubuque ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the most ethnically diverse colleges. The school's ethnic diversity score is 52.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 52.5, and gender diversity 99.1.
Kirkwood Community College landed the #23 spot in Iowa this year. Kirkwood Community College scores 52.1 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 52.1, and gender diversity 98.8.
Mercy College of Health Sciences came in at #24 in this year's ranking. Mercy College of Health Sciences scores 51.1 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 51.1, with a gender-diversity score of 57.1.
Saint Ambrose University ranked #25 on our 2026 list of the most ethnically diverse colleges. It scores 50.9 out of 100 for ethnic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 50.9, and gender diversity 97.9.
These colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is based on the racial and ethnic makeup of the student body. The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
See our data sources and methodologies.
