Outside Magazine (Sept 2003) said "Iowa City is one of the ten most literate and enlightened towns in the nation, according to the American Booksellers Association. This city of 62,000, set on the winding Iowa River, is a pocket of sophistication with the feel of small-town America. Locally run bookstores, ethnic restaurants, cafés with gallery space, and organic grocers line the brick streets, and summers are a whirl of jazz musicians, artists, and food vendors...

"In this peaceful, unpolluted environment opportunities for recreating include numerous theaters, parks, University-sponsored cultural events. Of particular interest is Hancher Auditorium, which each year presents a large number of internationally renowned symphony orchestras, musicians, ballet troupes and theatrical performances...

Big Ten spectator sports, sailing, canoeing and cross-country skiing. All are readily available at relatively low cost'...There are 46 adventure-and sports-related organizations-everything from the Cycling Club to the Lawn Sports Club-and two student environmental groups. Mountain bikers head to nearby Sugar Bottom Recreation Area for its 15 miles of single track, paddlers row or kayak on the Iowa River, climbers tackle the limestone.

The Graduate College serves all of the graduate students at The University of Iowa, approximately 25 percent of the student body. The college awards more than 30 percent of all degrees.

Because the Graduate College works in conjunction with the other colleges at the University, it has a unique role on campus. It has, for example, become the center for many international and interdisciplinary programs. The college also approves new academic programs and evaluates existing programs at the graduate level.

The college's programs include strong links to research. Through its administration of scholarship, fellowship, and research funds, the college encourages research and strengthening of scholarships in departments and graduate programs.

Iowa's graduate programs have both depth and breadth. Students actively participate in the life of a large multifaceted university community. They receive specialized attention within their own disciplines while they exchange ideas with people from throughout the University's 11 colleges and almost 100 graduate degree programs.

Through the University of Iowa's nationally recognized programs, students master a body of knowledge and ultimately contribute to it through their own scholarship and research.

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, one of the nation's largest university-owned teaching hospitals, offers unparalleled resources for study and training in the health sciences as well as first-rate health care services to members of the community and citizens statewide.