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2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa

18 Ranked Colleges
881 Degrees Awarded
$21,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor's in Iowa

With all of the options students 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 Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa” ranking.

General Biology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 102,043 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $28,233 and had an average of $23,964 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 936 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,291 and $24,580 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 881 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,922 and $25,876 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general biology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general biology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general biology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Biology Schools

The biology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa bachelor’s degree biology students.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology in Iowa

#1

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #1 spot on the list. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree biology students list, UNI has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $15,620 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at UNI

#2

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 123 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree biology students list, Iowa has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $19,145 for iowa bachelor’s degree biology students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $15,496 for iowa bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend Iowa State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Iowa State General Biology Report

#4

Central College

Pella, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa. Central College is located in Pella, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $23,269 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend Central College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Central

#5

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Grand View University landed the #5 spot on the list. Grand View University is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Grand View University also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Grand View University is $19,826 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

Full Grand View University General Biology Report

#6

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Upper Iowa University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fayette, Iowa. It awarded 13 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Upper Iowa University is $21,624 for iowa bachelor’s degree biology students.

Full Upper Iowa University General Biology Report

#7

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Dordt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Center, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dordt also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $25,102 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend Dordt.

The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on General Biology at Dordt University

#8

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mount Mercy University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Mount Mercy University is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Mount Mercy also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Mount Mercy University is $20,857 for iowa bachelor’s degree biology students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Mount Mercy

#9

Morningside College

Sioux City, Iowa

Morningside College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Morningside is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Morningside, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Morningside College is $21,337 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

Read full report on General Biology at Morningside College

#10

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

Saint Ambrose University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Saint Ambrose University is a small school located in Davenport, Iowa that handed out 27 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $26,204 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend St. Ambrose University.

Read full report on General Biology at Saint Ambrose University

With a ranking of #11, Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Graceland Lamoni is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lamoni, Iowa. It awarded 14 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Graceland Lamoni is $17,650 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

Read more about General Biology at Graceland Lamoni

#12

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa

Buena Vista University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Located in Storm Lake, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

BVU also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BVU is $17,544 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Biology at BVU

#13

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

With a ranking of #13, Drake University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Drake is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Drake also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $29,432 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend Drake University.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about General Biology at Drake University

#14

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa

Wartburg College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking, coming in at #14. Wartburg is located in Waverly, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Wartburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Wartburg is $21,787 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wartburg College General Biology Report

#15

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Luther also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Luther College is $23,620 for iowa bachelor’s degree biology students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read more about General Biology at Luther College

#16

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking, coming in at #16. Coe College is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Coe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Coe is $19,955 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read full report on General Biology at Coe

#17

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa

Cornell College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Cornell College is a small school located in Mount Vernon, Iowa that handed out 7 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $26,901 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend Cornell College.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full Cornell College General Biology Report

#18

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Grinnell, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

Grinnell also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $22,486 for iowa bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend Grinnell College.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Biology at Grinnell

Notes and References

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%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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