2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great nursing programs and 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 nursing program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Featured Health, Nursing, Medicine schools near Joliet, IL edit
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 Getting Aid”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Southeastern Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Southeastern Community College is located in West Burlington, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Southeastern Community College also took the #19 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $7,223 for Iowa Nursing students with aid per year to attend Southeastern Community College.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Des Moines Area Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. DMACC is located in Ankeny, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 184 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our iowa nursing students with aid list, DMACC has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $10,076 for iowa nursing students with aid per year to attend Des Moines Area Community College.
Read full report on Nursing at Des Moines Area Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Sioux City, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 95 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
Western Iowa Tech Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $7,201 for iowa nursing students with aid per year to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College.
Read more about Nursing at Western Iowa Tech Community College
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Kirkwood Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 142 students 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 $10,939 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeast Iowa Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in Calmar, Iowa, and it awarded 95 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
NICC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeast Iowa Community College is $10,505 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
North Iowa Area Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Mason City, Iowa, and it awarded 44 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
North Iowa Area Community College also made our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $8,409 for Iowa Nursing students with aid per year to attend North Iowa Area Community College.
Read full report on Nursing at North Iowa Area Community College
Northwest Iowa Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Sheldon, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.
Northwest Iowa Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $12,125 for iowa nursing students with aid per year to attend Northwest Iowa Community College.
Read full report on Nursing at Northwest Iowa Community College
With a ranking of #8, Eastern Iowa Community College District did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is located in Davenport, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 103 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is $10,650 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
Iowa State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 13 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $15,496 for Iowa Nursing students with aid per year to attend Iowa State.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
With a ranking of #10, Marshalltown Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Marshalltown, Iowa, this small public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,456 for iowa nursing students with aid per year to attend Marshalltown Community College.
Read full report on Nursing at Marshalltown Community College
Iowa Central Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fort Dodge, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.
Iowa Central Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Central Community College is $10,102 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
Read full report on Nursing at Iowa Central Community College
With a ranking of #12, Iowa Western Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa Western Community College is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 119 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Iowa Western Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa Western Community College is $11,477 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
Indian Hills Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Indian Hills Community College is a small public school situated in Ottumwa, Iowa. It awarded 48 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,217 for iowa nursing students with aid per year to attend IHCC.
Hawkeye Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hawkeye Community College is a public institution located in Waterloo, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 128 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Hawkeye Community College is $11,495 for iowa nursing students with aid.
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 294 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our iowa nursing students with aid list, Iowa has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,145 for Iowa Nursing students with aid per year to attend University of Iowa.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Southwestern Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Creston, Iowa, this small public school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified ’s nursing students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SWCC is $9,013 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
Iowa Lakes Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa Lakes Community College is a public institution located in Estherville, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,509 for Iowa Nursing students with aid per year to attend Iowa Lakes Community College.
Ellsworth Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid 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 $11,198 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
St Luke’s College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. St Luke’s College is a small school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 87 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
St Luke’s College also took the #10 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $22,114 for iowa nursing students with aid per year to attend St Luke’s College.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Graceland University - Lamoni ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Graceland University - Lamoni is a small school located in Lamoni, Iowa that handed out 320 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Graceland Lamoni, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $17,650 for iowa nursing students with aid per year to attend Graceland University - Lamoni.
Mercy College of Health Sciences did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Mercy College of Health Sciences is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 220 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our iowa nursing students with aid list, Mercy College of Health Sciences has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mercy College of Health Sciences is $21,989 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Nursing at Mercy College of Health Sciences
Grand View University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Grand View University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Grand View University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand View University is $19,826 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
Northwestern College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern College is located in Orange City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 ’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
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. It costs about $22,968 for iowa nursing students with aid per year to attend Northwestern College.
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%.
Luther College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Decorah, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s nursing degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.
Luther also made our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Luther is $23,620 for Iowa Nursing students with aid.
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%.
With a ranking of #25, Coe College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Coe College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It awarded 23 ’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our iowa nursing students with aid list, Coe has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,955 for iowa nursing students with aid per year to attend Coe College.
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%.
- Best Value Colleges for Nursing in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
- Best Value Colleges for Nursing (With Aid)
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Health Sciences & Services
Best Value Colleges for Health Sciences & Services in Iowa (With Aid)
Dentistry
Best Value Colleges for Dentistry in Iowa (With Aid)
Dental Support Services
Best Value Colleges for Dental Support Services in Iowa (With Aid)
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services
Best Value Colleges for Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services in Iowa (With Aid)
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Best Value Colleges for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science in Iowa (With Aid)
Medicine
Best Value Colleges for Medicine in Iowa (With Aid)
Mental & Social Health Services
Best Value Colleges for Mental & Social Health Services in Iowa (With Aid)
Public Health
Best Value Colleges for Public Health in Iowa (With Aid)
Medical Illustration & Informatics
Best Value Colleges for Medical Illustration & Informatics in Iowa (With Aid)
Other Health Professions
Best Value Colleges for Other Health Professions in Iowa (With Aid)
Communication Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Communication Sciences in Iowa (With Aid)
Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences in Iowa (With Aid)
Health & Medical Administrative Services
Best Value Colleges for Health & Medical Administrative Services in Iowa (With Aid)
Allied Health Professions
Best Value Colleges for Allied Health Professions in Iowa (With Aid)
Health/Medical Prep Programs
Best Value Colleges for Health/Medical Prep Programs in Iowa (With Aid)
Medical Science
Best Value Colleges for Medical Science in Iowa (With Aid)
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences in Iowa (With Aid)
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions
Best Value Colleges for Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions in Iowa (With Aid)
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services
Best Value Colleges for Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services in Iowa (With Aid)
Switch to a More Focused Major
Registered Nursing
Best Value Colleges for Registered Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
Best Value Colleges for Adult Health Nurse/Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
Best Value Colleges for Family Practice Nurse/Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)
School Nursing
Best Value Colleges for School Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)
Nursing Practice
Best Value Colleges for Nursing Practice in Iowa (With Aid)
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing
Best Value Colleges for Geriatric Nurse/Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)
Nursing Administration
Best Value Colleges for Nursing Administration in Iowa (With Aid)
Nurse Anesthetist
Best Value Colleges for Nurse Anesthetist in Iowa (With Aid)
Nursing Science
Best Value Colleges for Nursing Science in Iowa (With Aid)
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
Best Value Colleges for Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)
Clinical Nurse Leader
Best Value Colleges for Clinical Nurse Leader in Iowa (With Aid)
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Best Value Colleges for Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Nursing Schools in Iowa
Nursing students in the state of Iowa
Most Focused Colleges for Nursing in Iowa
Nursing students in Iowa
Most Popular Online Nursing Schools
Nursing students in Iowa
Best Value Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa
Nursing students with family income less than $30k in Iowa
Best Value Colleges for Nursing (Income $48-$75k) in Iowa
Nursing students with family income $48-$75k in Iowa
Best Value Colleges for Nursing (Income Over $110k) in Iowa
Nursing students with family income exceeding $110k in Iowa
Highest Paid Nursing Graduates in Iowa
Nursing students in Iowa
Most Popular Colleges for Nursing in Iowa
Nursing students in Iowa
Best Value Colleges for Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)
Nursing students getting aid in Iowa
Best Value Colleges for Nursing (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa
Nursing students with family income $30-$48k in Iowa
Best Value Colleges for Nursing (Income $75-$110k) in Iowa
Nursing students with family income $75-$110k in Iowa
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 Aleksahgabrielle.
Featured Nursing Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© 2025 College Factual – All Rights Reserved.