IOWA CITY, Iowa — This year’s incoming freshman class at the University of Iowa is being hailed as the most academically gifted in school history, according to school officials.
Sporting an average grade point average of 3.69 and average ACT score of 25.6, school officials say the class of 2021 has topped previous records in achievement than any previous class.
“We are excited to welcome another talented class to the University of Iowa,” said Sue Curry, interim UI executive vice president and provost. “We are eager for our new students to study in our laboratories, classrooms, and communities where our outstanding faculty are working at the forefront of discovery, scholarship, and innovation. We are confident that our students will find the means and opportunity to thrive.”
Particularly impressive is the fact that almost a quarter of the class of 2021 is made up of first-generation student. In fact, 1,145 of the 5,029 members of the class of 2021 are the first in their family to attend college.
“As a first-generation college student myself, I am so proud to welcome the one-fifth of our class who are the first to attend a university,” said Melissa Shivers, vice president for student life. “The University of Iowa is dedicated to student success, and programs like Iowa Edge demonstrate one way the UI works to provide students with the resources and support they need. I look forward to partnering with our campus community to make this university’s promise to first-generation students a reality.”
Nearly 58 percent of the class, or 2,907, are Iowa residents and about 3 percent are international students. The class represents 96 of Iowa’s 99 counties, 40 U.S. states (as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and bases for the U.S. Armed Forces), and 21 countries (including the U.S.).
