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Outcomes
Cost
Community
Overview
Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa is built entirely around Consciousness-Based Education — every student and faculty member practices Transcendental Meditation, and group meditation is a fixed part of the daily schedule. It is one of the most distinctive accredited universities in the country, drawing students specifically for that practice as much as for any major.
Academics
MIU runs on a block system, with students taking one course at a time in focused, several-week modules rather than a full course load simultaneously. Programs cluster around sustainable living, art, and computer science — the latter anchored by a large master's program that draws substantial international enrollment — along with Ayurveda-influenced health and wellness fields.
Campus & student life
Twice-daily group meditation in the campus's landmark golden domes, separated by gender, structures campus life more than any single major does. The town of Fairfield has an unusually large TM-practicing population well beyond the university itself, giving the whole area a distinct character rare for small-town Iowa.
Getting in
Applicants should expect genuine interest in or willingness to adopt the meditation practice as a factor in fit, alongside conventional academic review.
After graduation
Domestic graduates often move into wellness, sustainability, or education fields aligned with the university's philosophy, while the computer science master's program feeds many international graduates into U.S. technology careers.
Worth knowing
The block scheduling system and mandatory meditation practice are not peripheral features but the organizing logic of the entire institution, and students should understand that going in.
Admissions
Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)
Applying
miu.edu ↗High school coursework
RequiredHigh school diploma or equivalent (no specific course pattern published); GED or home-study certificate also accepted for those who did not complete high school -- a 2.5+ GPA is expected, though lower GPAs may still be considered based on additional qualifications
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