2023 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
20
Ranked Colleges
5,724
Degrees Awarded
$28,400
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies” ranking - to help you make that decision.
With 366,996 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts is the 2nd most popular major in the United States.
Across Iowa, there were 5,724 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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.
Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies
The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa vets studying liberal studies.
Top 20 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 218 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our iowa vets studying liberal studies list, Iowa has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 30,318 students enrolled at University of Iowa were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-iowa/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 68 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UNI supports 9,507 students, and 251 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 99 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,033. During this same period, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full UNI Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.
Iowa State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 31,822 students enrolled at Iowa State, 814 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 388 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,933. On top of their other funding sources, 9 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Iowa State University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa Western Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies list. Council Bluffs, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 440 students in 2020-2021.
Iowa Western Community College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 5,791 students enrolled at Iowa Western Community College, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $583. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand View University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grand View University, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,874 students enrolled at Grand View University, 86 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 38 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,256. During this same period, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Grand View University]](/colleges/grand-view-university/student-life/veterans/)
Des Moines Area Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking. Des Moines Area Community College is a large public school situated in Ankeny, Iowa. It awarded 1,045 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
DMACC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 23,051 students enrolled at DMACC, 500 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 221 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,709. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. DMACC offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full DMACC Veteran Student Life Report
Western Iowa Tech Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 114 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western Iowa Tech Community College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Western Iowa Tech Community College supports 5,360 students, and 117 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 51 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,455. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
With a ranking of #8, Simpson College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies list. Located in Indianola, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
Simpson College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 35 of the 1,267 students enrolled at Simpson College were GI Bill® students, of which 18 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,481. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Simpson College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Simpson College Veteran Student Life Report
Northwest Iowa Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking. Northwest Iowa Community College is a small school located in Sheldon, Iowa that handed out 63 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our iowa vets studying liberal studies list, Northwest Iowa Community College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,666 students enrolled at Northwest Iowa Community College, 36 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,961. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Northwest Iowa Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Iowa Central Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, this medium-sized public school handed out 419 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa Central Community College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 4,704 students enrolled at Iowa Central Community College, 100 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,481. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Marshalltown Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies list. Marshalltown Community College is a small public school situated in Marshalltown, Iowa. It awarded 142 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our iowa vets studying liberal studies list, Marshalltown Community College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,836 students enrolled at Marshalltown Community College, 30 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,511. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Marshalltown Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Kirkwood Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #12. Kirkwood Community College is a fairly large school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 822 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Kirkwood Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 264 of the 12,277 students enrolled at Kirkwood Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 108 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,554. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Eastern Iowa Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #13. Eastern Iowa Community College District is a medium-sized public school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 536 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,081 students enrolled at Eastern Iowa Community College District, 19 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,290. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges]](/colleges/eastern-iowa-community-college-district/student-life/veterans/)
Indian Hills Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies list. Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, this small public school awarded 234 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.
IHCC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Indian Hills Community College supports 3,279 students, and 106 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 45 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,629. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Hawkeye Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking. Hawkeye Community College is located in Waterloo, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 277 ’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hawkeye Community College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 5,042 students enrolled at Hawkeye Community College, 150 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,269. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Hawkeye Community College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Hawkeye Community College]](/colleges/hawkeye-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #16, North Iowa Area Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies list. North Iowa Area Community College is located in Mason City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 373 ’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
North Iowa Area Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 2,681 students enrolled at North Iowa Area Community College, 51 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 28 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,828. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at North Iowa Area Community College]](/colleges/north-iowa-area-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Iowa Lakes Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #17. Iowa Lakes Community College is located in Estherville, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 146 ’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our iowa vets studying liberal studies list, Iowa Lakes Community College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 12 of the 2,288 students enrolled at Iowa Lakes Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,004. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Ellsworth Community College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking. Ellsworth is a small public school situated in Iowa Falls, Iowa. It awarded 78 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Ellsworth also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 731 students enrolled at Ellsworth, 15 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,410. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ellsworth offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Southwestern Community College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking. Creston, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 137 students in 2020-2021.
SWCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Southwestern Community College supports 1,503 students, and 19 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,360. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Southeastern Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #20. Southeastern Community College is a public institution located in West Burlington, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 248 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Southeastern Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 2,260 students enrolled at Southeastern Community College, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,695. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Southeastern Community College]](/colleges/southeastern-community-college-west-burlington/student-life/veterans/)
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