Iona University
79%
Acceptance rate
2.8%
Intl. students
$43,680
Tuition/yr
3,200
Enrollment
15:1
Student:Faculty
About Iona University
Private Catholic university in New Rochelle, NY. Strong business, communication, and liberal arts programs.
Iona University is a Catholic institution founded in 1940 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers in New Rochelle, New York, located on a 45-acre campus 16 miles north of New York City. It transitioned from Iona College to university status in July 2022 and currently enrolls approximately 4,000 students across undergraduate and graduate programs.
The university's academic strengths include the AACSB-accredited LaPenta School of Business, ranked #14 nationally for undergraduate business academic experience by Poets and Quants (2025), and the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing and Health Sciences, a partnership with New York's top-ranked hospital. The university offers nearly 50 undergraduate and over 40 graduate programs across business, health sciences, arts, and sciences.
Iona holds a #61 ranking among Regional Universities North in the 2026 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges edition and is ranked #5 among Catholic colleges nationally for student experience by the Wall Street Journal (2026). The university reports a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a 91% employment or graduate school placement rate within six months of graduation.
World University Rankings
Campus & Location
NY
Suburban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- Iona's proximity to New York City gives students direct access to one of the world's largest job markets, internship pipelines, and a substantial South Asian professional community, which is particularly valuable for Nepali students in business, healthcare, and technology fields.
- The NSF S-STEM scholarship covers full tuition and fees for high-achieving students majoring in biology, biochemistry, mathematics, or computer science, a rare merit award that does not exclude international applicants, making it worth pursuing for science-oriented Nepali students.
- International undergraduate students at Iona are eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation, giving up to 12 months of US work authorization, with STEM graduates in qualifying programs potentially eligible for a 24-month OPT extension.
- Annual undergraduate tuition is approximately $43,680 (plus fees), which is mid-range for the New York metro area; Iona reports that 99% of first-year students receive institutional scholarships or grants, suggesting strong merit aid availability that may offset sticker price for competitive Nepali applicants.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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