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2025 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa

16 Colleges in Iowa
1,169 Bachelor's Degrees
$68,178 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #2 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 16 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,169 bachelor's degrees in nursing to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa The nursing bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Nursing in Iowa

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing.

10 Top Iowa Schools for a Bachelor's in Nursing

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
229 Annual Graduates
$69,368 Median Starting Salary
$18,520 Median Student Debt

It's hard to beat University of Iowa if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. Iowa is a very large public university located in the small city of Iowa City.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $69,368 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Iowa

2
Allen College crest
Allen College
Waterloo, IA

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in nursing needs to look into Allen College. Located in the small city of Waterloo, Allen College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

After graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients generally make around $65,924 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Allen College

3
286 Annual Graduates
$66,309 Median Starting Salary
$34,595 Median Student Debt

Mercy College of Health Sciences is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Mercy College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $66,309 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Mercy College of Health Sciences

4
10 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Iowa State University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Iowa State University

5

Graceland Lamoni is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Lamoni.

Soon after graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients usually earn around $66,955 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Graceland University - Lamoni

6
77 Annual Graduates
$66,151 Median Starting Salary
$46,056 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $66,151 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Saint Ambrose University

7
Mount Mercy crest
Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, IA
78 Annual Graduates
$66,647 Median Starting Salary
$23,187 Median Student Debt

Mount Mercy is a small private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $66,647 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Mount Mercy University

8
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, IA

Luther is a small private not-for-profit college located in the remote town of Decorah.

Bachelor's recipients from the nursing program at Luther College make $7,355 more than the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Luther College

9
Morningside crest
Morningside College
Sioux City, IA

Located in the city of Sioux City, Morningside is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients typically earn an average of $68,397 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Morningside College

10
Clarke crest
Clarke University
Dubuque, IA

Located in the city of Dubuque, Clarke is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $62,676 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Clarke University

Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Missouri 228 3,224
Minnesota 215 6,914
Kansas 184 1,454
Nebraska 180 1,229
North Dakota 149 589
South Dakota 148 814

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 1,167
Nursing Practice 2

Related Major Annual Graduates
Communication Sciences 120
Public Health 111
Health Sciences & Services 106
Allied Health Professions 95
Health & Medical Administrative Services 91
Alternative Medicine & Systems 47
Health/Medical Prep Programs 39
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services 38
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 31
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 13

Notes and References

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