Best Education Colleges in Iowa2026 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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| # | 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 | Luther CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 73% | 75% | $22,180 | $45,691 | 10:1 | 43 | 1,454 |
| 3 | Emmaus Bible CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 98% | 82% | $12,281 | $29,569 | 8:1 | 11 | 183 |
| 4 | Coe CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 71% | 59% | $16,889 | $42,166 | 11:1 | 40 | 1,246 |
| 5 | University of IowaPublic | Strong· 36 | 85% | 73% | $20,136 | $47,110 | 15:1 | 83 | 21,691 |
| 6 | Central CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 79% | 69% | $19,418 | $44,000 | 12:1 | 40 | 1,062 |
| 7 | Cornell CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 81% | 72% | $22,174 | $42,756 | 12:1 | 44 | 1,074 |
| 8 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 89% | 75% | $15,430 | $48,052 | 18:1 | 96 | 25,033 |
| 9 | Loras CollegePrivate | Strong· 35 | 92% | 70% | $16,930 | $40,870 | 12:1 | 41 | 1,087 |
| 10 | Buena Vista UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 72% | 47% | $16,286 | $41,622 | 13:1 | 51 | 1,378 |
| 11 | University of Northern IowaPublic | Strong· 34 | 94% | 69% | $13,872 | $42,790 | 17:1 | 68 | 7,599 |
| 12 | Saint Ambrose UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 73% | 63% | $20,111 | $41,178 | 11:1 | 55 | 2,101 |
| 13 | Graceland University-LamoniPrivate | Strong· 34 | 83% | 38% | $14,173 | $36,563 | 14:1 | 39 | 901 |
| 14 | Simpson CollegePrivate | Good· 33 | 89% | 66% | $19,007 | $42,760 | 11:1 | 48 | 1,130 |
| 15 | Dordt UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 71% | 65% | $23,110 | $46,256 | 14:1 | 87 | 1,547 |
| 16 | Clarke UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 68% | 55% | $22,569 | $44,247 | 10:1 | 33 | 782 |
| 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 | Wartburg CollegePrivate | Good· 32 | 99% | 67% | $19,521 | $44,999 | 13:1 | 39 | 1,446 |
| 20 | Mount Mercy UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 79% | 56% | $21,217 | $43,810 | 13:1 | 45 | 1,135 |
| 21 | University of DubuquePrivate | Good· 30 | 87% | 41% | $20,992 | $47,098 | 11:1 | 33 | 1,473 |
| 22 | Grand View UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 98% | 56% | $19,778 | $46,547 | 12:1 | 48 | 1,472 |
| 23 | Northwestern CollegePrivate | Average· 29 | 87% | 64% | $20,674 | $46,403 | 14:1 | 44 | 1,125 |
| 24 | Maharishi International UniversityPrivate | Average· 26 | 97% | 18% | $22,627 | $30,202 | 13:1 | 19 | 774 |
| 25 | Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological SeminaryPrivate | Average· 26 | 50% | 61% | $17,038 | $26,513 | 15:1 | 9 | 371 |
| 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 |