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2021 Best Affordable Colleges in Iowa for Students from China

13 Colleges
$37,861 Avg Tuition & Fees*
56% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

When pursuing a degree in today's world, international students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Value Colleges for Chinese Students in Iowa ranking is part of that endeavor.

Our analysis looked at 13 schools in Iowa to determine which ones were the best for Chinese students in Iowa. Our ranking is based on several objective factors, including the school's overall value and the total number of international students at the school. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.

Learn more about our ranking methodology.

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Top Value Colleges in Iowa for Students from China

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1

Iowa State University tops this year’s ranking as the best value school for Chinese students in Iowa. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 6,998 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 8.1% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Malaysia come to Iowa State to study. Out-of-state tuition and fees for undergraduates at Iowa State is about $25,446 a year, on average. Graduate students pay around $26,948 a year in average tuition and fees.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read More…

2

Out of the 13 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, and it awarded 2,555 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 3.5% are international. Students studying at UNI come from such countries as Saudi Arabia, China, and Mexico. Out-of-state tuition and fees for undergraduates at UNI is about $19,753 a year, on average. Graduate students pay around $21,201 a year in average tuition and fees.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on University of Northern Iowa

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #3 in this year’s ranking. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, the large public school handed out 5,998 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 5.9% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, South Korea, and India come to Iowa to study. Out-of-state tuition and fees for undergraduates at Iowa is about $31,905 a year, on average. The average tuition and fees for graduate programs is $31,012 per year.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on University of Iowa

4

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Maharishi International University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for Chinese students in Iowa. Located in Fairfield, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 134 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Around 42.6% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as Nepal, Ethiopia, and China come to MIU to study. Yearly tuition and fees (out-of-state) for undergraduates at MIU runs, on average, about $16,530. The average tuition and fees for graduate programs is $32,530 per year.

Read full report on Maharishi International University

5

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Saint Ambrose University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for Chinese students in Iowa. Saint Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Davenport, Iowa that handed out 626 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 2.3% are international. Students from as far away as Saudi Arabia, India, and United Kingdom come to St. Ambrose University to study. International students at St. Ambrose University can expect to pay, on average, about $33,570 a year to attend the school. The average tuition and fees for graduate programs is $18,640 per year.

Full Saint Ambrose University Report

6

University of Dubuque ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Colleges for Chinese Students in Iowa list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 423 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 4.8% are international. Students from as far away as Saudi Arabia, China, and Taiwan come to UD to study. International students at UD can expect to pay, on average, about $36,010 a year to attend the school. Graduate students pay around $7,940 a year in average tuition and fees.

Read full report on University of Dubuque

7
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, IA

Drake University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges for Chinese Students in Iowa ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 838 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 2.4% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Drake come from such countries as Malaysia, China, and Vietnam. International students at Drake can expect to pay, on average, about $45,912 a year to attend the school. The average tuition and fees for graduate programs is $11,988 per year.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Drake University

8
Wartburg crest
Wartburg College
Waverly, IA

Wartburg College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges for Chinese Students in Iowa ranking, coming in at #8. Wartburg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waverly, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 303 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 6.8% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at Wartburg are Swaziland, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. Yearly tuition and fees (out-of-state) for undergraduates at Wartburg runs, on average, about $47,500. The average tuition and fees for graduate programs is $22,450 per year.

Read More…

9
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, IA

Luther College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges for Chinese Students in Iowa ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Decorah, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 460 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

International students make up 7.9% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Luther come from such countries as Vietnam, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. International students at Luther can expect to pay, on average, about $46,760 a year to attend the school.

Read full report on Luther College

10
Coe crest
Coe College
Cedar Rapids, IA

Coe College landed the #10 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges for Chinese Students in Iowa. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 395 students in 2020-2021.

Around 2.3% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Coe are Japan, China, and Germany. Yearly tuition and fees (out-of-state) for undergraduates at Coe runs, on average, about $48,822.

Full Coe College Report

11
Cornell College crest
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, IA

Cornell College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Colleges for Chinese Students in Iowa list. Mount Vernon, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 314 students in 2020-2021.

Around 4.5% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Cornell College are China, Vietnam, and Japan. Yearly tuition and fees (out-of-state) for undergraduates at Cornell College runs, on average, about $47,726. Graduate students pay around $15,050 a year in average tuition and fees.

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12

Upper Iowa University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges for Chinese Students in Iowa ranking, coming in at #12. Fayette, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,084 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 2.9% are international. Students studying at UIU come from such countries as Malaysia, United Kingdom, and Nigeria. Out-of-state tuition and fees for undergraduates at UIU is about $33,609 a year, on average. Graduate students pay around $19,685 a year in average tuition and fees.

Read full report on Upper Iowa University

13
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA

With a ranking of #13, Grinnell College did quite well on the 2021 Best Value Colleges for Chinese Students in Iowa. Located in Grinnell, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 496 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 19.0% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at Grinnell are China, India, and South Korea. International students at Grinnell can expect to pay, on average, about $58,648 a year to attend the school.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Grinnell College Report

Best Affordable Colleges in the Plains States Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 13 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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