Best value colleges for Education in Iowa.2026 Rankings
Iowa is home to 28 accredited institutions offering Education 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, Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary is the most selective, admitting 50% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $33,086, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $34,896. Median early-career earnings for Education graduates in this state average $39,633 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 58%.
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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 | Drake UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 64% | 77% | $26,358 | $41,630 | 10:1 | 49 | 2,669 |
| 2 | Emmaus Bible CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 98% | 82% | $12,281 | $29,569 | 8:1 | 11 | 183 |
| 3 | Luther CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 73% | 75% | $22,180 | $45,691 | 10:1 | 43 | 1,454 |
| 4 | Central CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 79% | 69% | $19,418 | $44,000 | 12:1 | 40 | 1,062 |
| 5 | Coe CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 71% | 59% | $16,889 | $42,166 | 11:1 | 40 | 1,246 |
| 6 | Cornell CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 81% | 72% | $22,174 | $42,756 | 12:1 | 44 | 1,074 |
| 7 | University of IowaPublic | Strong· 36 | 85% | 73% | $20,136 | $47,110 | 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 | $48,052 | 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 | $36,563 | 14:1 | 39 | 901 |
| 12 | Saint Ambrose UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 73% | 63% | $20,111 | $41,178 | 11:1 | 55 | 2,101 |
| 13 | Strong· 34 | 94% | 69% | $13,872 | $42,790 | 17:1 | 68 | 7,599 | |
| 14 | Clarke UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 68% | 55% | $22,569 | $44,247 | 10:1 | 33 | 782 |
| 15 | Dordt UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 71% | 65% | $23,110 | $46,256 | 14:1 | 87 | 1,547 |
| 16 | Simpson CollegePrivate | Good· 33 | 89% | 66% | $19,007 | $42,760 | 11:1 | 48 | 1,130 |
| 17 | William Penn UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 57% | 29% | $21,898 | $40,662 | 13:1 | 39 | 1,391 |
| 18 | Morningside UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 71% | 53% | $22,086 | $53,956 | 12:1 | 43 | 1,166 |
| 19 | Mount Mercy UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 79% | 56% | $21,217 | $43,810 | 13:1 | 45 | 1,135 |
| 20 | Wartburg CollegePrivate | Good· 32 | 99% | 67% | $19,521 | $44,999 | 13:1 | 39 | 1,446 |
| 21 | Grand View UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 98% | 56% | $19,778 | $46,547 | 12:1 | 48 | 1,472 |
| 22 | University of DubuquePrivate | Good· 30 | 87% | 41% | $20,992 | $47,098 | 11:1 | 33 | 1,473 |
| 23 | Northwestern CollegePrivate | Average· 29 | 87% | 64% | $20,674 | $46,403 | 14:1 | 44 | 1,125 |
| 24 | Average· 26 | 50% | 61% | $17,038 | $26,513 | 15:1 | 9 | 371 | |
| 25 | Average· 26 | 97% | 18% | $22,627 | $30,202 | 13:1 | 19 | 774 | |
| 26 | Waldorf UniversityPrivate | Average· 26 | 73% | 29% | $23,887 | $57,654 | 22:1 | 23 | 2,103 |
| 27 | Upper Iowa UniversityPrivate | Fair· 25 | 93% | 41% | $19,842 | $44,304 | 22:1 | 39 | 2,021 |
| 28 | Briar Cliff UniversityPrivate | Fair· 23 | — | 49% | $23,260 | $43,017 | 12:1 | 47 | 626 |