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2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

24 Ranked Colleges
1,931 Degrees Awarded
$18,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 310,601 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 3,578 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,396 and $29,131 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,931 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,922 and $25,876 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Education Schools

The education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 268 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $10,054 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa State University Education Report

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 573 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $10,757 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at UNI

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 178 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $12,975 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Iowa.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Iowa Education Report

#4

Central College

Pella, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Pella, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

Central also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Central College is $19,172 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Central College Education Report

#5

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa
#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Buena Vista University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Buena Vista University is located in Storm Lake, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

BVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Buena Vista University is $14,210 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Education at Buena Vista University

#6

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Simpson College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Indianola, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Simpson College has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $15,357 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Simpson College.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read full report on Education at Simpson College

#6

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

Wartburg College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wartburg is located in Waverly, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Wartburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Wartburg College is $16,334 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wartburg College Education Report

#8

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

Coe College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Coe is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Coe has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Coe College is $14,590 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read full report on Education at Coe College

#9

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Northwestern College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. NWC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Orange City, Iowa. It awarded 52 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NWC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NWC is $20,581 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern College Education Report

#10

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Cornell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Cornell College is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell College is $20,458 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell College Education Report

#11

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Loras College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Loras College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 34 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Loras not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loras is $16,154 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Loras

#12

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

Dordt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Dordt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Center, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dordt, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $24,967 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dordt University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Dordt

#13

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa
#17 in overall quality

Grand View University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Grand View University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand View University is $18,481 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Education at Grand View University

#14

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

Luther College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decorah, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Luther not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $16,636 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Luther.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Luther College

#22 in overall quality

Graceland University - Lamoni ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Graceland University - Lamoni is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lamoni, Iowa. It awarded 41 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Graceland University - Lamoni is $15,015 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Graceland University - Lamoni Education Report

#16

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#18 in overall quality

Mount Mercy University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

Mount Mercy also took the #18 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Mercy University is $13,992 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Mount Mercy University

#17

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Saint Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 30 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Ambrose University, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Ambrose University is $23,977 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full St. Ambrose University Education Report

#18

Morningside College

Sioux City, Iowa
#14 in overall quality

Morningside College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

Morningside also took the #14 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,805 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Morningside College.

Read more about Education at Morningside

#19

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa
#3 in overall quality

Drake University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Drake is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Drake did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $25,212 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Drake University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a 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 student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full Drake Education Report

#20

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of Dubuque did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Dubuque is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 24 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UD also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $19,369 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UD.

Full University of Dubuque Education Report

#21

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, Iowa
#21 in overall quality

Briar Cliff University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Briar Cliff University is a small school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 16 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Briar Cliff also took the #21 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $20,372 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Briar Cliff University.

Read full report on Education at Briar Cliff

#22

Clarke University

Dubuque, Iowa
#24 in overall quality

Clarke University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

Clarke also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $32,534 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Clarke University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Clarke University Education Report

#23

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Upper Iowa University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIU is a small school located in Fayette, Iowa that handed out 142 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Upper Iowa University is $21,427 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at Upper Iowa University

#24

Iowa Wesleyan University

Mount Pleasant, Iowa
#23 in overall quality

Iowa Wesleyan University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

Iowa Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $24,607 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa Wesleyan University.

Read full report on Education at Iowa Wesleyan

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.

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