Despite this year’s unprecedented challenges, our students continue to excel. As the latest cohort of Hawkeyes prepares to graduate, we celebrate their accomplishments.
Top majors, minors, and certificates

These are the most popular areas of study among fall 2020 undergraduate degree applicants.

Top 3 majors

  • Nursing
  • Business Analytics and Information Systems
  • Finance

Top 3 minors

  • Human Relations
  • Psychology
  • Mathematics

Top 3 certificates

  • Entrepreneurial Management
  • Leadership Studies
  • Event Management

This fall, 1,895 University of Iowa undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will graduate under extraordinary circumstances. With the coronavirus pandemic upending traditional educational practices across campus and the country—including commencement ceremonies—2020 has proven to be a challenging year.

Since March, students have made sacrifices to maintain health and safety. Instruction for a majority of courses moved online, face masks and hand sanitizer became the norm, internships and study abroad programs were largely suspended, stages remained dark. In fact, most events were held virtually or removed from the calendar. Even the Homecoming parade was dubbed the “Stay-at-Homecoming” parade.

Through it all, however, Hawkeyes persisted.

They gained invaluable communication skills by accessing Iowa’s unmatched writing-related resources and made positive contributions to the community and state by focusing on teamwork and collaboration. Now their hard work has paid off as graduates land prestigious academic placements and notable jobs at SpaceX and pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc.

 

Coming together for the greater good—that’s the Hawkeye Way. As 2020 comes to a close, we can count on one thing: With this cohort of new graduates comes a new dawn. As Hawkeyes enter the next stage of their lives, they leave campus full of potential and promise.

If you or a loved one is graduating this fall, find ceremony information at the UI Commencement website.

1,403
undergraduate degree applicants
492
graduate and professional degree applicants
89%
graduating seniors who participated in an internship, undergraduate research, community-based service learning, or other experiential learning opportunity, according to recent Senior Exit Surveys
157
undergraduates with multiple majors
3.12
average undergraduate cumulative GPA
26%
undergraduates who identify as first-generation
35
graduating students who identify as veterans
18%
graduating students who identify as a member of a minority group
64
age of the oldest degree applicant
18
age of the youngest degree applicant
71
Iowa counties represented
35
U.S. states represented
37
countries represented, including the U.S.
232
degrees in medicine, health care, and public health
128
degrees in education
6
degrees in law
793
degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math
589
degrees in business
book
328
degrees in the arts and humanities

Because the final number of graduates will not be available until just before ceremonies begin, these statistics pertain to degree applicants.

Great stories happen at Iowa. Read all about Hawkeyes doing amazing things.

Produced by the University of Iowa Office of Strategic Communication