Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Education

Find Schools Near

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

24 Ranked Colleges
1,931 Degrees Awarded
$22,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in Iowa

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 310,601 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 3,578 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,396 and $29,131 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,931 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,922 and $25,876 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The education 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 Education 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa

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

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education in Iowa

#1

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 573 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $15,620 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Education at UNI

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 268 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $15,496 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Education at Iowa State University

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 178 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,145 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students.

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

Read more about Education at University of Iowa

#4

Central College

Pella, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa. Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pella, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Central also took the #7 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central College is $23,269 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Central College

#5

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Orange City, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

NWC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for NWC is $22,968 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Full Northwestern College Education Report

#6

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

Dordt University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Dordt University is located in Sioux Center, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 85 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Dordt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Dordt University is $25,102 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Dordt

#7

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa
#17 in overall quality

Grand View University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Des Moines, Iowa. It awarded 38 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Grand View University also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $19,826 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Grand View University.

Read more about Education at Grand View University

#8

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa
#11 in overall quality

Loras College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loras, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loras College is $20,676 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Full Loras College Education Report

#9

Iowa Wesleyan University

Mount Pleasant, Iowa
#23 in overall quality

Iowa Wesleyan University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Iowa Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $26,312 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Iowa Wesleyan.

Read more about Education at Iowa Wesleyan

#10

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa
#19 in overall quality

Upper Iowa University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Upper Iowa University is located in Fayette, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

UIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIU is $21,624 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students.

Read more about Education at UIU

#11

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Saint Ambrose University is a small school located in Davenport, Iowa that handed out 30 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree education students list, St. Ambrose University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Ambrose University is $26,204 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students.

Read full report on Education at Saint Ambrose University

#12

Morningside College

Sioux City, Iowa
#14 in overall quality

Morningside College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Morningside not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $21,337 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Morningside.

Full Morningside College Education Report

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. This small school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Graceland Lamoni, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Graceland University - Lamoni is $17,650 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students.

Full Graceland Lamoni Education Report

#14

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Buena Vista University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 89 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Education at BVU

#15

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, Iowa
#21 in overall quality

Briar Cliff University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Located in Sioux City, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Briar Cliff, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Briar Cliff University is $20,604 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students.

Full Briar Cliff Education Report

#16

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#18 in overall quality

Mount Mercy University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

Mount Mercy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Mount Mercy University is $20,857 for iowa bachelor’s degree education 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 full report on Education at Mount Mercy

#17

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa
#20 in overall quality

University of Dubuque ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree education students list, UD has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dubuque is $26,748 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

Read more about Education at University of Dubuque

#18

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Simpson College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Indianola, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Simpson College also took the #9 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Simpson College is $19,151 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Simpson College

#19

Clarke University

Dubuque, Iowa
#24 in overall quality

Clarke University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Clarke University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 20 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Clarke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $34,204 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students per year to attend Clarke.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Clarke University Education Report

#20

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa
#3 in overall quality

Drake University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Des Moines, Iowa. It awarded 29 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Drake, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drake is $29,432 for iowa bachelor’s degree education 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%. 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 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.

Read more about Education at Drake

#21

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

Luther College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Luther is a small school located in Decorah, Iowa that handed out 18 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Luther also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Luther is $23,620 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Luther College

#22

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

Wartburg College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Wartburg is located in Waverly, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Wartburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wartburg is $21,787 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read more about Education at Wartburg College

#23

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Cornell College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking, coming in at #23. Cornell College is a small school located in Mount Vernon, Iowa that handed out 25 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $26,901 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Education 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 Education Report

#24

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

Coe College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Coe College is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree education students list, Coe has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,955 for iowa bachelor’s degree education students per year to attend Coe.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Coe

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You