by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard. You may be surprised that some normally high-priced schools offer very generous financial aid packages to those who qualify.
In This Year's Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 40 schools in Iowa to determine which ones have the best value programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
When determining the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking, we first look at its average net price, which 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.
We go into more detail on these factors on our best value ranking methodology page.
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 (with aid) school in Iowa. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and has a large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Iowa State University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $15,422 a year.
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list means Des Moines Area Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. DMACC is located in Ankeny, Iowa and has a large student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Des Moines Area Community College is ranked #11 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $9,667 a year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Northern Iowa is ranked #4 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $15,231 a year.
Out of the 40 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Iowa is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $17,599 a year.
The quality degree programs at Marshalltown Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa. Located in Marshalltown, Iowa, the school is a small public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Marshalltown Community College is ranked #33 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $7,068 a year.
Southeastern Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #6. Southeastern Community College is a small public school located in West Burlington, Iowa.
Not only is Southeastern Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #38 in Iowa for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $5,926.
Western Iowa Tech Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Sioux City, Iowa.
Not only is Western Iowa Tech Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #29 in Iowa for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $8,282.
With a ranking of #8, Maharishi International University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. MIU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fairfield, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Maharishi International University is ranked #6 for quality in the state of Iowa. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $14,573.
Learn More About Value at Maharishi International University
With a ranking of #9, Northeast Iowa Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Calmar, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Northeast Iowa Community College has the honor of being ranked #28 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,570 a year.
Kirkwood Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Kirkwood Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Kirkwood Community College has the honor of being ranked #27 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,740 a year.
Indian Hills Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #11. Indian Hills Community College is a small public school located in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Indian Hills Community College has the honor of being ranked #34 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $7,337.
Iowa Central Community College landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Iowa Central Community College has the honor of being ranked #23 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $10,507 a year.
Iowa Western Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking, coming in at #13. Iowa Western Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Iowa Western Community College is ranked #21 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $11,403 a year.
Eastern Iowa Community College District came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is located in Davenport, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Eastern Iowa Community College District a great value, but it is also ranked #36 in Iowa for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,743 a year.
Read full value report on Eastern Iowa Community College District
Southwestern Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Located in Creston, Iowa, the school is a small public institution.
Southwestern Community College has the honor of being ranked #37 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $9,766 a year.
With a ranking of #16, Northwest Iowa Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Northwest Iowa Community College is a small public school located in Sheldon, Iowa.
Not only is Northwest Iowa Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #30 in Iowa for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $11,613.
With a ranking of #17, North Iowa Area Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. North Iowa Area Community College is a public institution located in Mason City, Iowa.
Not only is North Iowa Area Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #39 in Iowa for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $8,712 a year.
Hawkeye Community College landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Waterloo, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Hawkeye Community College is ranked #32 for quality in the state of Iowa. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $11,359.
Graceland University - Lamoni ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Lamoni, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Graceland University - Lamoni has the honor of being ranked #17 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $18,595.
Buena Vista University landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. BVU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Storm Lake, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Buena Vista University is ranked #19 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $18,532 a year.
Loras College landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Loras College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Dubuque, Iowa.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Loras College is ranked #13 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $20,068 a year.
Simpson College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Indianola, Iowa.
Not only is Simpson College a great value, but it is also ranked #12 in Iowa for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $20,986 a year.
Coe College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa list. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the school is a small private not-for-profit institution.
Coe College has the honor of being ranked #18 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $19,141.
Iowa Lakes Community College landed the #24 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Estherville, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Iowa Lakes Community College has the honor of being ranked #40 in Iowa for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $12,294.
Morningside College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Iowa ranking. Morningside is located in Sioux City, 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, Morningside College is ranked #8 for quality in the state of Iowa. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $23,222 a year.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.