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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

21 Ranked Colleges
6,129 Degrees Awarded
$10,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 1st of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 6,129 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,768 and $15,875 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts general studies 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 liberal arts general studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Des Moines Area Community College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k. Ankeny, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 1,299 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, DMACC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Des Moines Area Community College is $8,543 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at DMACC

#2

Southeastern Community College

West Burlington, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southeastern Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. West Burlington, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 216 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, Southeastern Community College has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $6,527 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southeastern Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Southeastern Community College

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, North Iowa Area Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. North Iowa Area Community College is located in Mason City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 405 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

North Iowa Area Community College also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Iowa Area Community College is $7,397 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full North Iowa Area Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#4

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Marshalltown Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Marshalltown, Iowa, this small public school awarded 152 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marshalltown Community College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marshalltown Community College is $5,012 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Marshalltown Community College

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeast Iowa Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Northeast Iowa Community College is a small school located in Calmar, Iowa that handed out 139 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

NICC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $9,153 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeast Iowa Community College.

Full Northeast Iowa Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#6

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Kirkwood Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kirkwood Community College is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 730 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Kirkwood Community College also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Kirkwood Community College is $8,831 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Kirkwood Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $10,843 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Iowa State University

Iowa Central Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Iowa Central Community College is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 454 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa Central Community College, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa Central Community College is $8,734 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Iowa Central Community College

Indian Hills Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. IHCC is a small public school situated in Ottumwa, Iowa. It awarded 349 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

IHCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $5,646 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indian Hills Community College.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at IHCC

With a ranking of #10, Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Western Iowa Tech Community College is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 165 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Western Iowa Tech Community College also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $5,287 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Western Iowa Tech Community College

#11

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Iowa Western Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Iowa Western Community College is a medium-sized school located in Council Bluffs, Iowa that handed out 490 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa Western Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa Western Community College is $10,002 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Iowa Western Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Northwest Iowa Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Sheldon, Iowa, this small public school handed out 67 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

Northwest Iowa Community College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $8,623 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwest Iowa Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Northwest Iowa Community College

Eastern Iowa Community College District came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Davenport, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 504 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is $9,578 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Eastern Iowa Community College District

#14

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, Iowa

Hawkeye Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Hawkeye Community College is located in Waterloo, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 297 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Hawkeye Community College also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Hawkeye Community College is $9,083 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Hawkeye Community College

#15

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, Iowa

Ellsworth Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ellsworth Community College is a public institution located in Iowa Falls, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 89 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ellsworth also took the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ellsworth is $9,192 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Ellsworth

#16

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 199 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $15,073 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Iowa Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Southwestern Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Creston, Iowa, and it awarded 120 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k list, SWCC has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SWCC is $7,649 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at SWCC

#18

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $12,495 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Northern Iowa

#19

William Penn University

Oskaloosa, Iowa

With a ranking of #19, William Penn University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oskaloosa, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

William Penn University also took the #4 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William Penn University is $19,203 for Iowa Liberal Arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at William Penn University

#20

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

With a ranking of #20, Grand View University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Grand View University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand View University is $19,245 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Grand View University

Graceland University - Lamoni landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Graceland University - Lamoni is a small school located in Lamoni, Iowa that handed out 8 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $17,337 for iowa liberal arts students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Graceland Lamoni.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Graceland Lamoni

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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