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2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

33 Ranked Colleges
3,013 Degrees Awarded
$11,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 313,362 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 3,013 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $64,427 and $28,543 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 33 colleges that offered a degree in nursing. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent nursing programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The nursing 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 Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. 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 Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa

#1

Southeastern Community College

West Burlington, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southeastern Community College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in West Burlington, Iowa, this small public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

Southeastern Community College also made our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Community College is $4,925 for Iowa Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Southeastern Community College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 13 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $10,054 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Nursing at Iowa State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Iowa Tech Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Western Iowa Tech Community College is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Western Iowa Tech Community College also made our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College is $5,665 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Western Iowa Tech Community College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Iowa Area Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mason City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

North Iowa Area Community College also made our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $6,551 for Iowa Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Iowa Area Community College.

Read more about Nursing at North Iowa Area Community College

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Des Moines Area Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ankeny, Iowa, and it awarded 184 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

DMACC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $7,776 for Iowa Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DMACC.

Full DMACC Nursing Report

#24 in overall quality

Northeast Iowa Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. NICC is a small public school situated in Calmar, Iowa. It awarded 95 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

NICC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend NICC is $7,987 for Iowa Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northeast Iowa Community College Nursing Report

#7

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Kirkwood Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kirkwood Community College is a fairly large school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 142 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Kirkwood Community College also took the #17 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kirkwood Community College is $8,067 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Kirkwood Community College

With a ranking of #8, Northwest Iowa Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Sheldon, Iowa, and it awarded 50 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwest Iowa Community College has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Iowa Community College is $9,985 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Northwest Iowa Community College

#9

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, Iowa

Marshalltown Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marshalltown, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,073 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marshalltown Community College.

Read full report on Nursing at Marshalltown Community College

Eastern Iowa Community College District landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Davenport, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 103 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,406 for Iowa Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Iowa Community Colleges.

Full Eastern Iowa Community College District Nursing Report

Iowa Central Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa Central Community College is a small public school situated in Fort Dodge, Iowa. It awarded 61 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa Central Community College has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $7,979 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa Central Community College.

Read full report on Nursing at Iowa Central Community College

#12

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Iowa Western Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and it awarded 119 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa Western Community College also took the #20 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $9,341 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa Western Community College.

Read more about Nursing at Iowa Western Community College

#13

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 294 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $12,975 for Iowa Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa Nursing Report

Indian Hills Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ottumwa, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,644 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IHCC.

Read more about Nursing at IHCC

#15

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, Iowa

Hawkeye Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Waterloo, Iowa, this medium-sized public school handed out 128 degrees to qualified ’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,084 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hawkeye Community College.

Read more about Nursing at Hawkeye Community College

Southwestern Community College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SWCC is a public institution located in Creston, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southwestern Community College is $6,914 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at SWCC

#17

Iowa Lakes Community College

Estherville, Iowa

With a ranking of #17, Iowa Lakes Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa Lakes Community College is located in Estherville, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,411 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa Lakes Community College.

Read more about Nursing at Iowa Lakes Community College

#18

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, Iowa

Ellsworth Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Ellsworth Community College is a small public school situated in Iowa Falls, Iowa. It awarded 17 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ellsworth Community College is $8,576 for Iowa Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ellsworth Community College Nursing Report

#19

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

With a ranking of #19, Coe College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and it awarded 23 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Coe also made our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Coe College is $14,590 for Iowa Nursing 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%.

Full Coe College Nursing Report

Graceland University - Lamoni ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Lamoni, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 320 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Graceland University - Lamoni is $15,015 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Graceland Lamoni

#21

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Northwestern College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Orange City, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NWC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NWC is $20,581 for Iowa Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Nursing at NWC

Mercy College of Health Sciences came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mercy College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Des Moines, Iowa. It awarded 220 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mercy College of Health Sciences, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mercy College of Health Sciences is $20,188 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Nursing at Mercy College of Health Sciences

#23

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dordt University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Center, Iowa. It awarded 21 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Dordt has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dordt is $24,967 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Dordt University Nursing Report

#24

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Grand View University is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Grand View University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand View University is $18,481 for Iowa Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Grand View University

#25

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decorah, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Luther, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Luther College is $16,636 for iowa nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Luther College Nursing Report

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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.

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