Why Iowa?

Home of James Van Allen, the “Father of Space Science" and one of the Top Fifth Global Universities in Physics according to U.S. News and World Report.

Study here

Build a foundation

Expand your horizons

Learn from experts

See yourself here

Whether you're interested in space and plasma physics, astronomy and astrophysics, condensed matter and optics, or nuclear and particle physics, Iowa will develop your analytical, computational, and experimental skills to advance scientific knowledge of the universe around us.

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Research

Whether you’re passionate about space physics, quantum mechanics, or the intersections of physics and engineering, you’ll collaborate with expert faculty and cutting-edge labs. You’ll have access to hands-on research experiences, from working on space missions to contributing to particle physics discoveries. These opportunities allow you to expand your knowledge while making tangible contributions to the scientific community.

Research at Iowa

Top Fifth

of Global Universities in Physics

U.S. News and World Report 2022

$ 26 m

In annual research expenditures

Averaged over FY18-22

Write your story

Build on the legacy of space pioneer Dr. James Van Allen by getting involved with our faculty’s cutting-edge space physics research with NASA and the NSF, even as an undergrad.

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students in reserach lab

24

Full-time Faculty
Physics and Astronomy reserach lab

Very High

Research 1: Doctoral Universities
Research Activity

Carnegie Classification

120 +

Undergraduate physics and astronomy majors

2023-24 data

Physics and Astronomy reserach lab

70 +

Graduate students

2023-24 data

student with faculty discussions

Explore physics at Iowa

James Van Allen

Engage in our rich history by learning about the "Father of Space Science"

Outreach and engagement

Outreach and public engagement are essential to sharing our research with the general public, by interacting and listening in order to generate mutual benefit.

Earn your Natural Sciences requirement

Learn more about how our programs can satisfy the General Education CLAS Core requirement in Natural Sciences.

News and announcements

UI honors 2026 Discovery and Innovation awardees advancing high-impact research across the state, into space

Thursday, April 2, 2026
Associate Professor David Miles has been named the 2026 Scholar of the Year. The award recognizes nationally distinguished achievement in research, scholarship, and creative activity in the past 24 months. Richard Dvorksy, aerospace principal engineer and interim research administrator, has received the 2026 Distinguished Research Professional Award. This award recognizes staff members who performed exceptional service in support of research at the University of Iowa.

Flatté Receives Award from Argonne National Laboratories' Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

OVPR awards first-ever Large Grant Development Opportunity funds to 12 research teams

Thursday, March 26, 2026
Professor Fatima Toor's team is a phase 3 recipient of the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) Large Grant Development Opportunity funds, which support researchers in preparing and submitting major federal grant proposals. Within Toor's ASPIRE Center initiative, Physics and Astronomy faculty play a central role in advancing the project's semiconductor and photonic research goals. Assistant Professor Ravi Uppu, Assistant Professor Tom Folland, and Professor John Prineas will contribute their expertise to this effort.
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Events

Techniques in Astrophotography - presented by Griffin Carroll; Undergraduate Student; Department of Physics and Astronomy promotional image

Techniques in Astrophotography - presented by Griffin Carroll; Undergraduate Student; Department of Physics and Astronomy

Friday, April 3, 2026 7:30pm to 8:00pm
Van Allen Hall

Please join us for the Astronomy Public Talk series, where we host short, accessible talks on a wide range of astronomy and physics-related topics—free and open to the public! This event will feature a presentation by UI Physics and Astronomy undergraduate student Griffin Carroll, who will discuss methods used to image galaxies, nebulae, and other objects in the night sky, and explain how to create highly detailed images with open-source software.

A public observing session at the Van Allen...

Public Observing Night - Van Allen Observatory promotional image

Public Observing Night - Van Allen Observatory

Friday, April 3, 2026 8:00pm to 10:00pm
Van Allen Hall

Please join the University of Iowa Physics & Astronomy Department as we use the Van Allen Observatory and small telescopes to tour the spring sky. To attend this Astronomy observation session, follow the signs in Van Allen Hall to the east elevator to reach the roof.

Nuclear & Particle Physics Seminar - Aparajitha Karthikeyan; Texas A&M University

Monday, April 6, 2026 3:30pm to 4:20pm
Van Allen Hall
Nuclear & Particle Physics Seminar
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