Forbes Recognizes Iona University Among Nation’s Financially Strongest Private Colleges
Forbes awards Iona University “A” rating in the latest installment of its Financial Report Card for Private Colleges
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Iona University has been recognized among the nation’s healthiest private colleges in Forbes’ 2026 Financial Report Card, earning an “A” rating and ranking within the top 16% of institutions evaluated nationwide.
The annual report evaluates the financial health and operational strength of private colleges and universities across the country. Iona received a score of 4.02, placing the University among a select group of institutions recognized for strong financial performance and institutional stability.
“To be recognized among the nation’s healthiest private colleges is a meaningful affirmation of the work happening across our community every day,” Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., said. “This distinction speaks not only to Iona’s financial strength, but also to our continued momentum and growing national profile within higher education.”
The recognition comes at a pivotal moment for higher education, as colleges and universities across the country face increasing financial and operational pressures. According to The Hechinger Report, more than a quarter of private colleges are at risk of closure — a trend that can leave students facing rising costs, complications of maintaining degree progress in the transfer process and uncertainty around degree completion.
Against that backdrop, the Forbes recognition underscores Iona’s continued growth and investment across the University, including expanded academic offerings, strategic campus initiatives and a sustained focus on student success and outcomes.
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.