Overview
Simpson College is a four-year, coeducational liberal arts institution that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, and was founded in 1860. It is a
small school with approximately 1300 full-time students and nearly 500 part-time students. In addition to the main campus in
Indianola, the college has classroom facilities in West Des Moines and Ankeny.Simpson has been recognized by U.S. News and
World Report as one of the top 10 regional liberal-arts colleges. In the 2004 report, Simpson College was named number 1 in
the "Best Value" category for midwestern comprehensive colleges.The Des Moines
Metro Opera makes its home on the Simpson Campus with performances held during the summer. Operas are normally performed in
English.
Notable Students
Simpson College was the first college attended by George Washington Carver. Carver entered Simpson as an art major, but became interested in the
natural sciences. Carver left Simpson College to complete his undergraduate education at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University). Both schools have buildings named in his
honor.