Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Education

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa

24 Ranked Colleges
3,578 Degrees Awarded
$19,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 310,601 education students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 415 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $10,843 for iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Education at Iowa State

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

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 in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 708 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $12,495 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Education at University of Northern Iowa

#3

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Simpson College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Indianola, Iowa. It awarded 27 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Simpson College has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Simpson College is $15,323 for iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Simpson College Education Report

#4

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wartburg College landed the #4 spot on the list. Wartburg College is a small school located in Waverly, Iowa that handed out 45 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Wartburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Wartburg College is $19,037 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Education at Wartburg

#5

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa

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 in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Storm Lake, Iowa, and it awarded 155 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BVU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BVU is $12,773 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Education at BVU

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #6, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 443 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $15,073 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Education at Iowa

#7

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Coe also made our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Coe is $15,918 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Coe College Education Report

#8

Central College

Pella, Iowa

Central College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Pella, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2019-2020.

Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central is $19,207 for iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Central College

#9

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Cornell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Mount Vernon, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

Cornell College also took the #12 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell College is $21,970 for iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#10

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Luther is a small school located in Decorah, Iowa that handed out 18 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Luther, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $17,630 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Luther College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Luther College Education Report

#11

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mount Mercy University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mount Mercy is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

Mount Mercy also made our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Mount Mercy University is $15,098 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Full Mount Mercy University Education Report

#12

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa

Loras College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 50 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Loras also made our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $17,094 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loras College.

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%.

Full Loras College Education Report

#13

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dordt University is located in Sioux Center, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 155 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

Dordt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $22,177 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dordt.

The low 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%.

Full Dordt University Education Report

#14

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

Northwestern College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northwestern College is located in Orange City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 152 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

NWC also made our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $20,977 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NWC.

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 NWC Education Report

#15

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Grand View University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,245 for iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Grand View University.

Read full report on Education at Grand View University

With a ranking of #16, Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 55 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Graceland Lamoni, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Graceland University - Lamoni is $17,337 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at Graceland University - Lamoni

#17

Morningside College

Sioux City, Iowa

With a ranking of #17, Morningside College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Morningside is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 374 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

Morningside also made our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $19,166 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Morningside College.

Read more about Education at Morningside

#18

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, Iowa

Briar Cliff University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Briar Cliff is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux City, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Briar Cliff not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Briar Cliff is $20,688 for iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Education at Briar Cliff University

#19

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Drake is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 286 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Drake also made our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Drake University is $24,060 for iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Education at Drake University

#20

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UIU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fayette, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 200 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIU is $17,928 for iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Education at UIU

#21

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

Saint Ambrose University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Saint Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 38 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University also made our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $24,516 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at St. Ambrose University

#22

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa

University of Dubuque came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UD is located in Dubuque, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UD, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Dubuque is $21,715 for iowa education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Education at University of Dubuque

#23

Clarke University

Dubuque, Iowa

Clarke University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Clarke is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 39 ’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Clarke also took the #24 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $31,801 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Clarke.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Education at Clarke 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 in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Education Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $24,755 for Iowa Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa Wesleyan University.

Full Iowa Wesleyan Education Report

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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You