2026 Best Value Sustainability Science Schools in Iowa
[Sustainability Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/sustainability-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for sustainability science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Sustainability Science Schools in Iowa
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the sustainability science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Sustainability Science Schools
For return on investment in sustainability science, no school beat Iowa State University this year. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for sustainability science graduates is $23,495. Early-career sustainability science graduates make about $53,900. Set against $23,495 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Iowa State University admits about 89% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in sustainability science will find it at University Of Iowa, which ranked #2. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. Students from in state pay about $11,283 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Students borrow a median of $21,425 to complete the sustainability science program here. Soon after graduation, sustainability science degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $41,618. That is a strong return on a $21,425 median debt. University Of Iowa admits about 84% of applicants.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
