by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 107,165 general biology students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,334 and had an average of $23,818 in loans still to pay off.
Across Iowa, there were 805 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,942 and $25,506 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa” ranking analyzed 38 colleges that offered a degree in general biology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular general biology programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa biology students.
Out of the 38 schools in the Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 198 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 91 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grinnell College. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa. Grinnell College is located in Grinnell, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 38 schools in the Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Luther College landed the #5 spot on the list. Luther College is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Morningside College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 30 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Coe College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #7. Coe College is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #8, Wartburg College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. Wartburg is located in Waverly, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Central College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. Central College is located in Pella, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Grand View University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 18 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on General Biology at Grand View University
Iowa Wesleyan University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking. Iowa Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Dubuque came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on General Biology at University of Dubuque
Dordt University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking. Dordt is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Center, Iowa. It awarded 15 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Northwestern College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #14. Northwestern College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Orange City, Iowa. It awarded 14 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. Graceland University - Lamoni is located in Lamoni, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
With a ranking of #14, Upper Iowa University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. This small school is located in Fayette, Iowa, and it awarded 14 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #14, Loras College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dubuque, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #14. Saint Ambrose University is located in Davenport, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Drake University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. Drake is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 13 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
William Penn University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking. William Penn University is a small school located in Oskaloosa, Iowa that handed out 12 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Mount Mercy University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. Mount Mercy University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It awarded 11 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on General Biology at Mount Mercy University
Clarke University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Des Moines University - Osteopathic Medical Center landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 10 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on General Biology at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Simpson College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa ranking. Located in Indianola, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Briar Cliff University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Biology Major in Iowa list. Briar Cliff is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies