2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in Iowa
With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Iowa Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking.
We analyzed 30 colleges and universities to determine which were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in Iowa. This ranking doesn't just identify the colleges with the lowest costs. Rather, it highlights those institutions that offer excellent educational experiences for a lower cost than other schools of roughly the same caliber. Because of this, it is possible for one college to rank better than another, even if the latter college has a lower average cost.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
To calculate the average cost amount, we sum up the total expenses to attend a school - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other living expenses. This estimate is meant to give you a better picture of how much money you'll have to pay each year, either through self-pay, loans, or external scholarships.
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Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in Iowa
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Iowa State University to be the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in Iowa in this year’s ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, the large public school handed out 7,380 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Iowa State about 4.4 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $21,940 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State is $96,975. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Iowa State did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Colleges in Iowa list.
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Out of the 30 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, the large public school handed out 5,811 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Iowa, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,806 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Iowa is about $106,914. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Iowa also took the #3 spot in our Best Colleges in Iowa rankings.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Northern Iowa helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Iowa. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,500 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at UNI to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $21,294 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UNI be around $94,545. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dordt College. It ranked #4 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa list. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 384 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Dordt about 4.1 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $46,400 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Dordt is $188,384. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern College. The school came in at #5 in Iowa on this year’s best value ranking. Orange City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 258 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at NWC about 4.1 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $45,900 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from NWC is $189,567. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Central College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa list. Central is located in Pella, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 290 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Central to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $53,402. This means that the average student pays around $216,812 to get a bachelor’s degree from Central. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Drake University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa list. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 896 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Drake, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $58,488. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Drake is $240,386. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Drake did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Colleges in Iowa list.
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Emmaus Bible College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking, coming in at #8. Dubuque, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 91 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Emmaus Bible College is 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $29,950. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Emmaus Bible College is about $130,582. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Luther College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking, coming in at #9. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 591 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Luther is 4.1 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $57,885 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Luther be around $237,328. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Luther also took the #5 spot in our Best Colleges in Iowa rankings.
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Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Ankeny, Iowa, and it awarded 40 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at FBBC&TS graduates in less than 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $28,778 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from FBBC&TS is about $121,443. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Loras College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking, coming in at #10. Loras College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 429 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Loras, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $46,754 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Loras be around $193,094. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Maharishi University of Management landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking. Located in Fairfield, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 115 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at MUM to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $28,730 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the MUM is $122,390. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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With a ranking of #13, Saint Ambrose University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa list. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 612 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at St. Ambrose University graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $47,438 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $199,714 to get a bachelor’s degree from St. Ambrose University. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Grinnell College landed the #14 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking. Located in Grinnell, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 524 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At Grinnell, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $70,746 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell is about $289,351. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Grinnell is ranked #1 for overall quality in Iowa.
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Cornell College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa ranking. Located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 268 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Cornell College to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $60,337 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Cornell College is $246,778. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Cornell College also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in Iowa list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Simpson College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking, coming in at #16. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Indianola, Iowa, and it awarded 464 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Simpson College to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $54,008 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Simpson College is about $220,893. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Coe College landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking. Coe College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 411 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Coe, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.0 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $59,070 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $239,234 to get a bachelor’s degree from Coe. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Wartburg College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa ranking. Wartburg College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Waverly, Iowa that handed out 316 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Wartburg graduates in less than 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $55,610 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $226,889 to get a bachelor’s degree from Wartburg. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Clarke University landed the #19 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking. Clarke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dubuque, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 182 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Clarke graduates in less than 4.0 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $49,360. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Clarke is $199,414. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
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Mount Mercy University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking, coming in at #20. Mount Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 493 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Mount Mercy to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $48,877 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Mount Mercy is $209,682. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Morningside College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 337 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Morningside is 4.1 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $46,660 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Morningside is $192,706. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Grand View University landed the #22 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Iowa ranking. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 473 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Grand View University is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $42,116 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $182,783 to get a bachelor’s degree from Grand View University. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Graceland University - Lamoni came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa ranking. Located in Lamoni, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 401 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At Graceland Lamoni, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $43,824 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $184,499 to get a bachelor’s degree from Graceland Lamoni. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Briar Cliff University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa ranking. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 240 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Briar Cliff to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $46,650 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $193,598 to get a bachelor’s degree from Briar Cliff. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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With a ranking of #25, Buena Vista University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Iowa list. BVU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Storm Lake, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 643 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at BVU about 4.2 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $48,375 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from BVU be around $201,724. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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