Briar Cliff University

Private · IA

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationIA · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads624

Student:faculty10:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate35.9%

6-yr grad rate47.5%

Drop-out rate35.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$37k

Out-of-state tuition$37k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity41.3%

Gender diversity46%

International12.5%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Briar Cliff University is a small Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition, set on a hilltop in Sioux City, Iowa. It combines a liberal-arts core with practical professional programs, and athletics plays a notably large role in campus culture relative to its size.

Academics

Nursing and the health sciences are Briar Cliff's strongest and most emphasized programs, drawing on clinical partnerships in the Sioux City area; class sizes are small across the university.

Campus & student life

The hilltop campus overlooks the city, and a large share of students participate in intercollegiate athletics, which shapes much of the social calendar and campus identity.

Getting in

Briar Cliff is not highly selective and reviews applications with attention to fit, including athletic recruitment for a meaningful portion of its class.

Worth knowing

The heavy athletics culture is a real feature of daily life at Briar Cliff, not incidental; a large proportion of students are recruited athletes, which shapes the social environment more than at many small Catholic colleges.

briarcliff.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate—

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot reported

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying