2027 Best Value General Business/Commerce Schools in Iowa
[General Business/Commerce](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/general-business-commerce/business-commerce-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for general business/commerce students.
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2027 Best Value General Business/Commerce Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general business/commerce, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Business/Commerce Schools
For return on investment in general business/commerce, no school beat Waldorf College this year. Located in the rural area of Forest City, Waldorf College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $25,978 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $27,000. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $51,954. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Mount Mercy University one of the best values for general business/commerce. Mount Mercy University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. Students from in state pay about $40,878 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $33,583. Soon after graduation, general business/commerce degree recipients from Mount Mercy University generally make around $57,572. That is a strong return on a $33,583 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Dordt College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value general business/commerce schools. Located in the town of Sioux Center, Dordt College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,050. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $21,812. General Business/commerce graduates of Dordt College earn a median of $54,926 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,812 median debt. Dordt College admits about 68% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general business/commerce will find it at Drake University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $51,960. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $22,273. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $56,228. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Drake University admits about 64% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Wartburg College earned it the #5 place for general business/commerce. Located in the town of Waverly, Wartburg College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,250. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $27,000. General Business/commerce graduates of Wartburg College earn a median of $54,652 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wartburg College admits about 76% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
