Best English Colleges in Iowa2026 Rankings
Iowa is home to 27 accredited institutions offering English 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 $35,250, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $37,127. Median early-career earnings for English 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 | Grinnell CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 13% | 87% | $6,220 | $33,404 | 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 | $38,490 | 10:1 | 43 | 1,454 |
| 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 | $34,116 | 15:1 | 83 | 21,691 |
| 6 | Central CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 79% | 69% | $19,418 | $41,714 | 12:1 | 40 | 1,062 |
| 7 | Cornell CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 81% | 72% | $22,174 | $34,521 | 12:1 | 44 | 1,074 |
| 8 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 89% | 75% | $15,430 | $38,375 | 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 | $41,870 | 17:1 | 68 | 7,599 |
| 12 | Saint Ambrose UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 73% | 63% | $20,111 | $51,020 | 11:1 | 55 | 2,101 |
| 13 | Graceland University-LamoniPrivate | Strong· 34 | 83% | 38% | $14,173 | $44,792 | 14:1 | 39 | 901 |
| 14 | Simpson CollegePrivate | Good· 33 | 89% | 66% | $19,007 | $44,065 | 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 | $45,643 | 13:1 | 39 | 1,446 |
| 20 | Mount Mercy UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 79% | 56% | $21,217 | $53,520 | 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 | $46,038 | 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 | Waldorf UniversityPrivate | Average· 26 | 73% | 29% | $23,887 | $57,654 | 22:1 | 23 | 2,103 |
| 26 | Upper Iowa UniversityPrivate | Fair· 25 | 93% | 41% | $19,842 | $50,687 | 22:1 | 39 | 2,021 |
| 27 | Briar Cliff UniversityPrivate | Fair· 23 | — | 49% | $23,260 | $43,017 | 12:1 | 47 | 626 |