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2022 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in Iowa (With Aid)

21 Ranked Colleges
6,129 Degrees Awarded
$12,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 559,661 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts general studies 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 liberal arts general studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The liberal arts 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 Liberal Arts 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa liberal arts students with aid.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in Iowa (With Aid)

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 Getting Aid. DMACC is a large public school situated in Ankeny, Iowa. It awarded 1,299 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa liberal arts students with aid list, DMACC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $10,076 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Des Moines Area Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at DMACC

#2

Southeastern Community College

West Burlington, Iowa

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Southeastern Community College landed the #2 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 216 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Southeastern Community College also took the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $7,223 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Southeastern Community College.

Full Southeastern Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#3

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Kirkwood Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. Kirkwood Community College is a public institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 730 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Kirkwood Community College also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $10,939 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Kirkwood Community College.

Full Kirkwood Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#4

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, Iowa

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Marshalltown Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Marshalltown, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 152 students in 2019-2020.

Marshalltown Community College also took the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marshalltown Community College is $7,456 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid.

Full Marshalltown Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, North Iowa Area Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. North Iowa Area Community College is a small school located in Mason City, Iowa that handed out 405 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

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 $8,409 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid.

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

Indian Hills Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, this small public school handed out 349 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

IHCC also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend IHCC is $7,217 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Indian Hills Community College

#17 in overall quality

Northeast Iowa Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. NICC is a public institution located in Calmar, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 139 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NICC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $10,505 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Northeast Iowa Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at NICC

With a ranking of #8, Iowa Central Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

Iowa Central Community College also took the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa Central Community College is $10,102 for iowa liberal arts students with aid.

Full Iowa Central Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Eastern Iowa Community College District did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Davenport, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 504 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa liberal arts students with aid list, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Iowa Community College District is $10,650 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid.

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

Northwest Iowa Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Northwest Iowa Community College is a small school located in Sheldon, Iowa that handed out 67 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwest Iowa Community College also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Iowa Community College is $12,125 for iowa liberal arts students with aid.

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

#11

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Iowa Western Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. 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 also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Iowa Western Community College is $11,477 for iowa liberal arts students with aid.

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

Western Iowa Tech Community College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Iowa Tech Community College is $7,201 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid.

Full Western Iowa Tech Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#13

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, Iowa

Hawkeye Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Waterloo, Iowa, and it awarded 297 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Hawkeye Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Hawkeye Community College is $11,495 for iowa liberal arts students with aid.

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

Iowa State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 80 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also took the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $15,496 for iowa liberal arts students with aid per year to attend Iowa State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Iowa State Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#15

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #15, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 199 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa liberal arts students with aid list, Iowa has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $19,145 for iowa liberal arts students with aid.

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.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Iowa

#16

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, Iowa

With a ranking of #16, Ellsworth Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Iowa Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 89 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Ellsworth also took the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ellsworth is $11,198 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Ellsworth

Southwestern Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Creston, Iowa, and it awarded 120 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SWCC, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $9,013 for iowa liberal arts students with aid per year to attend Southwestern Community College.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Southwestern Community College

#18

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNI is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 76 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $15,620 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at UNI

#19

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Grand View University is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Grand View University also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $19,826 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Grand View University.

Full Grand View University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#20

William Penn University

Oskaloosa, Iowa

William Penn University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. William Penn University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

William Penn University also took the #4 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $20,637 for iowa liberal arts students with aid per year to attend William Penn University.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at William Penn University

Graceland University - Lamoni came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Graceland University - Lamoni is located in Lamoni, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Graceland Lamoni also took the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $17,650 for Iowa Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Graceland Lamoni.

Full Graceland University - Lamoni Liberal Arts General Studies Report

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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