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2022 Best Value Colleges for Elementary Education (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa

24 Ranked Colleges
1,121 Degrees Awarded
$18,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Elementary Education is the 19th most popular major in the country with 40,622 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Iowa, there were 1,121 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in elementary education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality elementary 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 elementary education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Elementary Education (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa

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 Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 170 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $10,054 for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Iowa State University Elementary Education Report

#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 Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school handed out 288 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $10,757 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Northern Iowa

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

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 Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 114 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also took the #11 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $12,975 for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Iowa

#4

Central College

Pella, Iowa

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 Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Central is a small school located in Pella, Iowa that handed out 20 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $19,172 for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central.

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 full report on Elementary Education at Central

#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 Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. BVU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Storm Lake, Iowa. It awarded 58 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k list, BVU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $14,210 for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Buena Vista University.

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 full report on Elementary Education at BVU

#6

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa

Simpson College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indianola, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Simpson College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Simpson College is $15,357 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Elementary Education Report

#7

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Coe College is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Coe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Coe is $14,590 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Coe College

#8

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa

Wartburg College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Waverly, Iowa, and it awarded 17 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Wartburg also took the #9 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wartburg is $16,334 for Iowa Elementary Teaching 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 Elementary Education Report

#9

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Northwestern College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. NWC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange City, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k list, NWC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern College is $20,581 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at NWC

#10

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Cornell College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

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

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cornell College Elementary Education Report

#11

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa

Loras College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

Loras also made our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Loras is $16,154 for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Read more about Elementary Education at Loras

#12

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dordt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Center, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dordt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Dordt is $24,967 for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Elementary Education at Dordt University

#13

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Grand View University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grand View University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand View University is $18,481 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Grand View University Elementary Education Report

#14

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Luther also took the #4 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Luther College is $16,636 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Elementary Education Report

Graceland University - Lamoni landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Graceland University - Lamoni is located in Lamoni, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Graceland Lamoni also took the #22 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $15,015 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Graceland University - Lamoni.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Graceland University - Lamoni

#16

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mount Mercy University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mount Mercy is a small school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 19 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mount Mercy has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Mercy is $13,992 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at Mount Mercy University

#17

Morningside College

Sioux City, Iowa

Morningside College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools 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 ’s elementary teaching degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

Morningside not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Morningside College is $19,805 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Morningside Elementary Education Report

#18

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

With a ranking of #18, Saint Ambrose University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Davenport, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Ambrose University is $23,977 for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Saint Ambrose University

#19

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, Iowa

With a ranking of #19, Briar Cliff University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Briar Cliff University is a small school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 6 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Briar Cliff not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Briar Cliff University is $20,372 for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Briar Cliff

#20

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa

University of Dubuque did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

UD also took the #20 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UD is $19,369 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UD

#21

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 22 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Drake also made our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Drake University is $25,212 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 more about Elementary Education at Drake

#22

Clarke University

Dubuque, Iowa

Clarke University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 12 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k list, Clarke has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $32,534 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Clarke.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Clarke Elementary Education Report

#23

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Fayette, Iowa, and it awarded 66 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

UIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend UIU is $21,427 for Iowa Elementary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Elementary Education at UIU

#24

Iowa Wesleyan University

Mount Pleasant, Iowa
#24 in overall quality

Iowa Wesleyan University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. It awarded 8 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa Wesleyan also made our “Best Elementary Education Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $24,607 for iowa elementary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa Wesleyan University.

Read more about Elementary Education at Iowa Wesleyan University

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 Vgrigas.

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