Best Nursing Colleges in Iowa2026 Rankings
Iowa is home to 19 accredited institutions offering Nursing 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, St Luke's College is the most selective, admitting 44% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $31,411, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $33,471. Median early-career earnings for Nursing graduates in this state average $40,570 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 54%.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luther CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 73% | 75% | $22,180 | $75,533 | 10:1 | 43 | 1,454 |
| 2 | Coe CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 71% | 59% | $16,889 | $67,769 | 11:1 | 40 | 1,246 |
| 3 | University of IowaPublic | Strong· 36 | 85% | 73% | $20,136 | $69,368 | 15:1 | 83 | 21,691 |
| 4 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 89% | 75% | $15,430 | $50,667 | 18:1 | 96 | 25,033 |
| 5 | St Luke's CollegePrivate | Strong· 35 | 44% | 33% | $8,623 | $71,064 | 6:1 | 2 | 192 |
| 6 | Saint Ambrose UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 73% | 63% | $20,111 | $66,151 | 11:1 | 55 | 2,101 |
| 7 | Graceland University-LamoniPrivate | Strong· 34 | 83% | 38% | $14,173 | $66,955 | 14:1 | 39 | 901 |
| 8 | Dordt UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 71% | 65% | $23,110 | $71,680 | 14:1 | 87 | 1,547 |
| 9 | Clarke UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 68% | 55% | $22,569 | $62,676 | 10:1 | 33 | 782 |
| 10 | William Penn UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 57% | 29% | $21,898 | $40,662 | 13:1 | 39 | 1,391 |
| 11 | Morningside UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 71% | 53% | $22,086 | $68,397 | 12:1 | 43 | 1,166 |
| 12 | Mount Mercy UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 79% | 56% | $21,217 | $66,647 | 13:1 | 45 | 1,135 |
| 13 | University of DubuquePrivate | Good· 30 | 87% | 41% | $20,992 | $66,628 | 11:1 | 33 | 1,473 |
| 14 | Grand View UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 98% | 56% | $19,778 | $64,042 | 12:1 | 48 | 1,472 |
| 15 | Northwestern CollegePrivate | Average· 29 | 87% | 64% | $20,674 | $71,479 | 14:1 | 44 | 1,125 |
| 16 | Mercy College of Health SciencesPrivate | Average· 26 | 99% | 49% | $24,028 | $66,309 | 7:1 | 4 | 905 |
| 17 | Upper Iowa UniversityPrivate | Fair· 25 | 93% | 41% | $19,842 | $70,224 | 22:1 | 39 | 2,021 |
| 18 | Briar Cliff UniversityPrivate | Fair· 23 | — | 49% | $23,260 | $43,017 | 12:1 | 47 | 626 |
| 19 | Allen CollegePrivate | Weak· 20 | — | — | $20,444 | $65,924 | 8:1 | 7 | 279 |