Iona University

Private · Moderately Selective · NY

Photo: ajay_suresh (CC BY 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationNY · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads2,951

Student:faculty16:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate49.9%

6-yr grad rate56%

Drop-out rate23.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$47k

Out-of-state tuition$47k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity52.2%

Gender diversity54.6%

International2.9%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Iona University is a Catholic university in New Rochelle, New York, founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and located about 40 minutes north of midtown Manhattan by train. It draws heavily from New York City's Catholic high school network, giving it a strong regional identity even as it has expanded its residential population and academic reach in recent years, including gaining university status.

Academics

The LaPenta School of Business is Iona's best-known academic unit and its most direct pipeline into New York-area finance and business jobs, helped by the university's proximity to the city. Education and health-related programs are also established strengths, and class sizes stay small enough for direct faculty contact across most majors.

Campus & student life

New Rochelle offers a suburban setting with a direct commuter-rail line into Manhattan, giving students real access to the city without living in it, which shapes both social life and internship opportunities. Men's basketball is the clearest athletic identity — the Gaels have made notable NCAA tournament runs — and campus energy around the program spikes each March in a way unusual for a school this size.

Getting in

Iona's review leans practical, weighing GPA and coursework rigor alongside fit, with less emphasis on elaborate essays than at more selective private schools. Its deep ties to New York Catholic high schools mean a meaningful share of each class arrives through that pipeline, and parochial-school connections can carry real weight.

After graduation

Graduates of the LaPenta School place well into New York City's business and finance sectors, aided directly by the short commute into Manhattan for internships during the school year. The university's Christian Brothers network and New York alumni base give graduates an informal but genuine leg up in the metro job market.

Worth knowing

The Manhattan commute is a defining, practical feature of attending Iona — internships during the semester, not just over the summer, are realistic for many students. Men's basketball is a genuine unifying campus event, not a niche interest, particularly during conference tournament season.

iona.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate86.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1110–1300 · ACT 24–29

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying