Accepted Students: Make Your Deposit
From Classroom to Career, Iona Prepares Students for the Future
At Iona University, career preparation begins long before graduation. From the moment students arrive on campus, they are supported by a close-knit, caring academic community that helps them build meaningful relationships, gain practical experience and prepare for life after college. Learn more about Iona’s Career Ready opportunities or join us for a tour of campus!
Support That Starts in the Classroom
Small class sizes and a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1 allow Iona students to connect closely with their professors. Iona faculty also have a wealth of professional experience that keeps Iona’s programs on the cutting edge of industry trends.
Supported by Career Development, a strong alumni network and proximity to New York City, Iona students also have unparalleled access to internships and career opportunities—leading to strong outcomes after graduation.
More than 90 percent of students are employed or enrolled in graduate school within a year of completing their studies, launching careers at premier organizations such as Goldman Sachs, MLB and Citi, as well as with top employers including Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo, EY, IBM and NewYork-Presbyterian—organizations that each employ roughly 100 Iona alumni.
Real-World Experience at Every Step
At Iona, students are encouraged to “Learn Outside the Lines” of the classroom, bringing their lessons to life through internships, networking and real-world experiences.
Students also gain exposure through signature opportunities such as the View from the C-Suite Series; Iona Innovation Challenge, where students compete for $20,000 in cash prizes; The Equity Collective, in partnership with Morgan Stanley; and on-site visits with organizations ranging from The New York Stock Exchange to The New York Yankees. Students are encouraged to build on these experiences through the Gaels Go Further Mentoring Program, receiving one-on-one guidance from alumni as part of Iona’s groundbreaking, one-credit course.
Throughout a student’s job search, Career Development provides personalized resume reviews, practice interviews and advising sessions, along with AI-powered application support. Networking opportunities, skill-building workshops and free professional headshots help students stand out to employers and graduate programs.
“The Center for Career Development has been beneficial to my education and future,” said Herolinda Dacaj ’25, who earned a coveted internship at Merrill Lynch. “They assisted me in perfecting my career readiness skills with resume writing, cover letters, mock interviews and professional email correspondence.”
Close to NYC, Closer to Opportunity
Iona’s campuses in New Rochelle and Bronxville sit at the doorstep of New York City, just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan with easy train access—an unmatched advantage for internships and career networking that can lead to full-time roles.
“Being a student at Iona, I was fully prepared for my current career,” NBCUniversal Producer Angel Pierre ’18 reflected. “The proximity to the city allowed me to intern at ABC and BET as a junior and senior, so when I left college, I was able to already have one step into my career.”
Gaels Are Career Ready
Gaels are career ready because they turn what they learn in the classroom into meaningful, real-world experiences. Whether interning at the White House or student-teaching in classrooms throughout the county, students build both the skills and the confidence to succeed long before they walk across the Commencement stage.
That is especially celebrated in the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences, where 100 percent of undergraduate nursing students are employed within a year of graduation.
“Iona prepared me for the real-world challenges of nursing,” said Maria Morano ’24, who is living out her dream as a labor and delivery nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian Alexandra Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns. “My time at Iona gave me the confidence to face any challenge that comes my way.”
Prepared for What’s Next
At Iona, earning a degree is only part of the journey. The University prepares students to become leaders in their professions and meaningful contributors to their communities.
That’s one reason Iona continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings.
For 2026, Iona was named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of the top schools in the country for social mobility, and Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment.
Learn more about how Iona prepares students for the future.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.