Simpson College

Simpson College Offers Interactive Academics, Diverse Activities, and a Historic, yet Modern Campus

Since 1860, Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, has been cultivating the intellectual spirit of thousands of students, and continues to do so today. At Simpson College, students have their choice of more than 80 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs. Simpson offers small class sizes, which means students interact daily with professors who know them personally. Professors at Simpson are passionate educators who are dedicated to the success of their students. One of the signatures of a Simpson College education is the abundance and diversity of extracurricular activities. Students not only develop academically, but also have the chance to play on championship athletic teams, become class senators, contribute to the 40,000 hours the Simpson College community volunteers each year, write for the nationally recognized student newspaper, perform in an opera or theatre production, or get fit playing intramural sports. With over 75 organizations there is something for everyone. Beyond the extraordinary opportunities, Simpson College offers a stunning physical setting to call home. The 85-acre tree-lined campus boasts historic brick buildings, winding sidewalks, and plenty of open space. At the same time, the Iowa school offers all the conveniences students are looking for: a variety of housing options (residence halls, suites, apartments, theme houses, and Greek houses) which offer air conditioning, study areas, free laundry facilities, and common areas.

At Simpson College, students have their choice of more than 50 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs. Simpson offers small class sizes, which means students interact daily with professors who know them personally. Professors at Simpson are passionate educators who are dedicated to the success of their students, yet their interests are as varied as their fields of study. They do everything from competitive cycling, acting as a political analyst for a metro news station, and playing in rock bands to teaching music in Africa, acting in community theatre, and publishing books and articles.

One of the signatures of a Simpson College education is the abundance and diversity of extracurricular activities. Students not only develop academically, but also have the chance to play on championship athletic teams, become class senators, contribute to the 40,000 hours the Simpson College community volunteers each year, write for the nationally recognized student newspaper, perform in an opera, hit the airwaves on KSTM campus radio, or get fit playing intramural sports. With over 100 organizations on the college's Indianola campus, there is something for everyone.

Beyond the extraordinary opportunities, Simpson College offers a stunning physical setting to call home. The 85-acre tree-lined campus boasts historic brick buildings, winding sidewalks, and plenty of open space. At the same time, the Iowa school offers all the modern day conveniences students are looking for. The campus is 100 percent wireless and the variety of housing options (residence halls, suites, apartments, theme houses, and Greek houses) offer air conditioning, study areas, computer labs, laundry facilities, cable, vending machines, and common areas.

Experience Small Town Comfort and Big City Opportunities at the Indianola, Iowa, Campus of Simpson College

Located in Indianola (population 16,000), only 12 miles south of Iowa's capital city, Des Moines (population 500,000), Simpson College offers the comfort of a small town mixed with all of the exciting opportunities of city life.  Indianola is a charming community with a downtown square a few blocks from campus.  Students will find restaurants, shops and a movie theatre all within walking distance.  Indianola is also home to great bike and hiking trails, Lake Ahquabi State Park and Des Moines Metro Opera. With Des Moines just minutes away, students can explore some of the best entertainment and employment options in the Midwest.  More than 80 percent of Simpson students take advantage of the college's incredible location and complete at least one internship program, or complete rigorous research or service-learning during their undergraduate experience. Beginning their first year on campus and continuing throughout their years at Simpson, students work with the Office of Career Development to explore careers, acquire internships, write resumes and prepare for job interviews., In today's competitive job market, Simpson College graduates have a distinct advantage - professional experience and a highly respected degree. Indianola's proximity to Iowa's capital city also gives students the chance to explore the fun side of city life. Taking in a baseball game, shopping at the trendy East Village or the two-million-square-foot Jordan Creek Town Center, attending concerts and Broadway musicals, or just checking out one of the many cultural attractions the city has to offer - students have no shortage of opportunities. There's a reason Forbes named Des Moines as a top place for young professionals and Fortune ranked the city as the number one up and coming downtown in the country.

Students Expand Their Horizons through Innovative Learning Opportunities

Simpson takes immense pride in our innovative learning approach. Students engage in learning beyond the walls of the classroom.  Through unique clubs, student organizations, civic groups and research—faculty encourage students to bring learning to life by applying their skills in real-world settings. Students take advantage of opportunities like speech, debate and mock trial, the Iowa History Center, our entrepreneurial organization EMERGE, math modeling, undergraduate research, or participation in political discourse through the John C. Culver Public Policy Center. The “Simpson Experience Abroad” program gives students the opportunity to spend a semester studying abroad with Simpson faculty. Destinations include Australia, Chile, England, Tahiti and Thailand. In addition, Simpson offers an extensive study abroad program through its three-week May term. Simpson’s international May term trips have taken students to nearly every continent including such countries as New Zealand, China, Madagascar, France, Namibia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Greece and Ghana. Today's employers are looking for people who have a global perspective and direct experience with other cultures, and Simpson makes it easy to study abroad.