by our College Data Analytics TeamWith all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take when you want to pursue a degree. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Iowa Schools For The Money For Those Making $30-$48k for a Bachelor's ranking - to help you make that decision. This list is proof that you shouldn't avoid normally high-priced schools, since the actual price may be very affordable if you qualify for financial aid.
In This Year's Value Report:
After analyzing 25 schools in Iowa, we came up with our list of those that offered the best value Bachelor's Degree programs. Our ranking methodology focuses on different objective factors to make this determination of the best value schools. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
When determining the value of a school in our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking, we first look at its average net price of a student coming from a family that makes $30-$48k a year. The net price is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that the student receives. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2024 rankings named Iowa State University the best value (income $30-$48k) school in Iowa for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and has a large student population. It is a public school.
Iowa State University has the honor of being ranked #1 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $9,986.
Out of the 25 bachelor’s degree schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Not only is University of Northern Iowa a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,562.
A rank of #3 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa list means University of Iowa is a great place for students working on their degree. This large public school is located in Iowa City, Iowa.
Not only is University of Iowa a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,089.
Out of the 25 bachelor’s degree schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Grinnell College landed the #4 spot on the list. Grinnell is located in Grinnell, Iowa and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Grinnell College has the honor of being ranked #3 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $18,452.
A rank of #5 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa list means Coe College is a great place for students working on their degree. Coe is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Coe College a great value, but it is also ranked #17 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,379.
Loras College did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #6. Dubuque, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Loras College has the honor of being ranked #10 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $16,513.
Buena Vista University landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Storm Lake, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Buena Vista University is ranked #18 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $15,178.
Cornell College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa list. Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Mount Vernon, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Cornell College is ranked #12 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $16,660.
With a ranking of #9, Luther College did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa list. Luther is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decorah, Iowa.
Luther College has the honor of being ranked #6 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $18,668.
Simpson College did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #10. Simpson College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Indianola, Iowa.
Simpson College has the honor of being ranked #8 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $18,412.
Wartburg College landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking. Wartburg College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Waverly, Iowa.
Wartburg College has the honor of being ranked #13 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $17,521.
With a ranking of #12, Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa list. Graceland Lamoni is located in Lamoni, Iowa and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Graceland University - Lamoni has the honor of being ranked #21 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $15,663.
Northwestern College did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #13. NWC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Orange City, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Northwestern College is ranked #16 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $18,488.
With a ranking of #14, Drake University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa list. Drake is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa.
Drake University has the honor of being ranked #5 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $24,012.
Waldorf University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #15. Waldorf University is a small private for-profit school located in Forest City, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Waldorf University is ranked #15 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $20,103.
Briar Cliff University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #16. Briar Cliff is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux City, Iowa.
Briar Cliff University has the honor of being ranked #22 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $18,434.
With a ranking of #17, Dordt University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa list. Sioux Center, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Dordt University is ranked #7 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $22,382.
Morningside College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking. Morningside College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Sioux City, Iowa.
Not only is Morningside College a great value, but it is also ranked #14 in Iowa for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $20,905.
Saint Ambrose University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking. St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Davenport, Iowa.
Not only is Saint Ambrose University a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in Iowa for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $22,279.
Mount Mercy University landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Mount Mercy University has the honor of being ranked #20 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $19,601.
William Penn University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #21. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Not only is William Penn University a great value, but it is also ranked #24 in Iowa for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $19,207.
Clarke University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa list. Dubuque, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Clarke University is ranked #19 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $22,574.
Upper Iowa University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #23. Fayette, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Upper Iowa University is ranked #11 for quality in the state of Iowa. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $25,119.
With a ranking of #24, University of Dubuque did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa list. UD is located in Dubuque, Iowa and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Dubuque is ranked #25 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $23,996.
Grand View University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, the school is a small private not-for-profit institution.
Not only is Grand View University a great value, but it is also ranked #23 in Iowa for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $35,184.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.