by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which grad school to attend. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Doctor's Degree Colleges in Iowa ranking.
What's on This Page: * Our Methodology
We analyzed 10 grad schools across Iowa to determine which have the best doctorate degree programs. Our ranking for the best grad 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. The following gives more info on what goes into our ranking factors and why we consider those factors.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a graduateschool is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. A doctorate degree holder from a school in Iowa makes an average starting salary of $69,610, but the students who attended schools in the top 5 of our list make an average of $71,702.
Another factor that we look at to determine a school's ranking is the average debt load that graduate students take on while they are working on their doctorate degree. We consider this number in conjunction with average post-graduation earnings to gauge the difficulty doctorate recipients will have paying back their loans.
In addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt loads, we also look at a host of other factors to determining our Best Doctorate Degree Schools ranking. Several other factors - such as how much the school spends on educational resources, the demand of the school, the availability of online learning options, and the student body caliber - go into our rankings.
Find out more about our graduate school ranking methodology
Not quite ready to work on your doctorate? Check out our Best Master's Degree Schools ranking.
Learn more about these excellent grad schools below:
Iowa State University tops this year’s ranking as the best grad school for doctorate degrees in Iowa for overall quality. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate degrees to 496 students in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a doctorate degree from Iowa State is $77,573 during the early years of their career.
The excellent doctorate degree programs at University of Iowa helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Iowa. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, the large public school awarded 874 diplomas to qualifed doctorate degree students in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, doctorate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $76,581 during the early years of their career.
A rank of #3 on our Best Doctorate Degrees in Iowa list means Saint Ambrose University is a great place for students working on their degree. Located in Davenport, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 76 diplomas to qualifed doctorate degree students in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Drake University. The school came in at #4 in Iowa on this year’s best doctorate degree schools ranking. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 257 doctorate degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a doctorate degree from Drake go into careers with an average salary of $61,460 during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Iowa list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 8 doctorate degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #6, Morningside College did quite well on the 2024 Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Iowa list. Morningside is located in Sioux City, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Graceland University - Lamoni came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 2 doctorate degrees in 2020-2021.
Clarke University did quite well in the 2024 Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Iowa ranking, coming in at #8. Clarke is located in Dubuque, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 doctorate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Graduates with a doctorate degree from Clarke make an average of $80,036 per year during the early years of their career.
Mount Mercy University landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. Mount Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 doctorate degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #10, Briar Cliff University did quite well on the 2024 Best Doctorate Degree Schools in Iowa list. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a doctorate degree from Briar Cliff go into careers with an average salary of $62,863 during the early years of their career.
View Best Doctorate Degree Schools Nationwide >
More about our data sources and methodologies.