Best value colleges for Economics in Iowa.2026 Rankings
Iowa is home to 18 accredited institutions offering Economics programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, Grinnell College is the most selective, admitting 13% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $37,578, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $40,394. Median early-career earnings for Economics graduates in this state average $36,676 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 65%.
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ranked by value score
| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grinnell CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 13% | 87% | $6,220 | $46,791 | 9:1 | 31 | 1,705 |
| 2 | Drake UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 64% | 77% | $26,358 | $51,837 | 10:1 | 49 | 2,669 |
| 3 | Luther CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 73% | 75% | $22,180 | $42,759 | 10:1 | 43 | 1,454 |
| 4 | Central CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 79% | 69% | $19,418 | $41,714 | 12:1 | 40 | 1,062 |
| 5 | Coe CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 71% | 59% | $16,889 | $42,311 | 11:1 | 40 | 1,246 |
| 6 | Cornell CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 81% | 72% | $22,174 | $34,521 | 12:1 | 44 | 1,074 |
| 7 | University of IowaPublic | Strong· 36 | 85% | 73% | $20,136 | $50,223 | 15:1 | 83 | 21,691 |
| 8 | Buena Vista UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 72% | 47% | $16,286 | $41,622 | 13:1 | 51 | 1,378 |
| 9 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 89% | 75% | $15,430 | $50,667 | 18:1 | 96 | 25,033 |
| 10 | Loras CollegePrivate | Strong· 35 | 92% | 70% | $16,930 | $40,870 | 12:1 | 41 | 1,087 |
| 11 | Graceland University-LamoniPrivate | Strong· 34 | 83% | 38% | $14,173 | $44,792 | 14:1 | 39 | 901 |
| 12 | Saint Ambrose UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 73% | 63% | $20,111 | $51,020 | 11:1 | 55 | 2,101 |
| 13 | Strong· 34 | 94% | 69% | $13,872 | $49,314 | 17:1 | 68 | 7,599 | |
| 14 | Dordt UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 71% | 65% | $23,110 | $46,256 | 14:1 | 87 | 1,547 |
| 15 | Simpson CollegePrivate | Good· 33 | 89% | 66% | $19,007 | $44,065 | 11:1 | 48 | 1,130 |
| 16 | Wartburg CollegePrivate | Good· 32 | 99% | 67% | $19,521 | $45,643 | 13:1 | 39 | 1,446 |
| 17 | University of DubuquePrivate | Good· 30 | 87% | 41% | $20,992 | $47,098 | 11:1 | 33 | 1,473 |
| 18 | Northwestern CollegePrivate | Average· 29 | 87% | 64% | $20,674 | $46,403 | 14:1 | 44 | 1,125 |