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It's the area's largest employer, largest tourist attraction, and one of the nation's most prestigious public teaching and research institutions. It's the University of Iowa. Founded in 1847, the university now has more than 28,000 students and 1,700 faculty. Ten colleges; business administration, dentistry, education, engineering, law, liberal arts, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and the graduate college make up the university's academic wing. More than half of the students are enrolled in liberal arts. Two-thirds of the student body is from Iowa, another large chunk is from Illinois. All 50 states, one U.S. possession and 104 foreign countries are represented in the student body.

Other notable departments include the Writers' Workshop, regularly rated the single finest creative writing program in the country, and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, consistently ranked as one of the best teaching and research hospitals nationwide. UI was the first public university to admit men and women on an equal basis and the first institution to accept creative work for advanced degrees in the arts. The university also had the first law school west of the Mississippi.

The Old Capitol, Iowa's capitol building until the Legislature moved to Des Moines in 1857, is located on the Pentacrest in the heart of downtown Iowa City. Other notable buildings on the 1,900-acre campus include Hancher Auditorium, the Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratories, the new Levitt Center for University Advancement, the classic Kinnick Stadium and the continually evolving and expanding hospital. The Oakdale Research Campus is located north of Interstate 80 off of Highway 965.

Hawkeye sports are a popular draw, on home football game days the population of the city nearly doubles and tailgate parties dot the campus. Iowa's wrestling team has been the premier team in the country for the past two decades and the men's and women's basketball teams usually enjoy post-season play. UI fields 22 varsity sports, for more Hawkeye sports information, visit HawkCentral.com.

Thirteen Pulitzer Prize winners graduated from the university, and countless more taught here. Notable UI graduates include professional basketball player B.J. Armstrong, jazz singer Al Jarreau, actor Gene Wilder, documentary filmmaker Charles Guggenheim, Nancy Drew creator Mildred Wirt Benson and professional football player Tim Dwight.

The Hawkeye's mascot is Herky the Hawk. The nickname "Hawkeye" came from the hero in the novel The Last of the Mohicans, by James Fenimore Cooper. Iowa became the Hawkeye state in 1838 and the name stuck with the university. Herky was born 110 years later in 1948. In the mid-1950s, Herky came to life as the Iowa Mascot and has been a familiar figure at Hawkeye athletic events ever since.