Briar Cliff University
Briar Cliff University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Briar Cliff University Featured Rankings
- #13 Iowa's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #13 Best Christian Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #16 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa
- #17 Best Private Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #17 Best Small Colleges in Iowa
- #20 Best Colleges in Iowa 2026
- #23 Online Bachelor’s in Health Science
- #35 The Best Catholic Colleges and Universities
About Briar Cliff University
According to Wikipedia, Briar Cliff University is a private Franciscan university in Sioux City, Iowa. History In March 1929, Mother Mary Dominica Wieneke, Major Superior of the Sisters of Saint Francis of the Holy Family of Dubuque, Iowa, along with Edmond Heelan, Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese, co-founded Briar Cliff College after meeting with members of the Sioux City community, who committed to raising $25,000 to support the establishment of a Catholic women's college in Sioux City. The twelve foundresses of the college were carefully chosen by Mother Dominica. They were led by Sister Mary Servatius Greenen, who was named the first president.
Briar Cliff University's Online Degrees
Briar Cliff University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| 64% | 46% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Briar Cliff University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $39,064 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $21,729 |
| 30K - 48K | $23,860 |
| 48K - 75K | $26,301 |
| 75K - 110K | $30,461 |
| 110K+ | $30,448 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Briar Cliff University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Briar Cliff University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $59,643 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Briar Cliff University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 1,125 | 874 | 251 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Briar Cliff University?
Briar Cliff University is located at 3303 Rebecca Street, Sioux City, IA 51104.
How Safe is Briar Cliff University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Briar Cliff University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Briar Cliff University has a violent crime rate of 0.11% and a property crime rate of 0.11%. Sioux City has a violent crime rate of 0.56% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.35%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Briar Cliff University Known For?
Briar Cliff University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Social Work
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Medical
- Communications
- Literature
- History
- Education
- Business
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Criminal Justice
Briar Cliff University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Briar Cliff University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Briar Cliff University ranks #463 in the U.S. and #1234 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #523 in the U.S. and #1267 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #1095 in the U.S. and #4544 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #1675 in the U.S. and #6287 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #1735 in the U.S. and #5238 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #1842 in the U.S. and #6696 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #1896 in the U.S. and #7472 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #1908 in the U.S. and #6586 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #1931 in the U.S. and #7194 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #1978 in the U.S. and #6188 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #2209 in the U.S. and #7173 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #2249 in the U.S. and #8385 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #2304 in the U.S. and #8252 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #2333 in the U.S. and #9903 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #2513 in the U.S. and #6745 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesBriar Cliff University ranks #3039 in the U.S. and #6488 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice Degrees