Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Elementary Education (Income $48-$75k) in Iowa

24 Ranked Colleges
1,111 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor's in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 40,622 people earned their degree in elementary education, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States.

Across Iowa, there were 1,121 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,111 elementary education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,922 and $25,876 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in elementary education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality elementary education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the elementary education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Elementary Education (Income $48-$75k) in Iowa

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 170 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $14,161 for iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Iowa State

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 288 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $15,729 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Elementary Education at University of Northern Iowa

#3

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Simpson College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Indianola, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

Simpson College also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $14,790 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Simpson College.

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%.

Full Simpson College Elementary Education Report

#4

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Buena Vista University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k. Storm Lake, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.

BVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $15,292 for iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend BVU.

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.

Full Buena Vista University Elementary Education Report

#5

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #5 spot on the list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 114 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $18,272 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Iowa.

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 more about Elementary Education at Iowa

#6

Central College

Pella, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

Central College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pella, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central is $19,495 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Elementary Education at Central

#7

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#16 in overall quality

Coe College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Coe also took the #16 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $18,375 for iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Coe.

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 Elementary Education at Coe College

#8

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa
#10 in overall quality

Loras College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k list, Loras has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loras is $18,438 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Loras College Elementary Education Report

#9

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#3 in overall quality

Northwestern College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Orange City, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

NWC also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $20,364 for iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NWC.

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 Elementary Education at Northwestern College

#10

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Luther College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Decorah, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

Luther also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Luther is $19,852 for iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Luther College Elementary Education Report

#11

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Cornell College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Mount Vernon, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cornell College has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell College is $23,700 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Cornell College

#12

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa
#17 in overall quality

Grand View University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

Grand View University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand View University is $18,213 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Grand View University Elementary Education Report

#13

Morningside College

Sioux City, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

Morningside College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Sioux City, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k list, Morningside has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Morningside College is $21,842 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Morningside Elementary Education Report

#13

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

Wartburg College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Waverly, Iowa, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wartburg, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $18,418 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wartburg.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wartburg College Elementary Education Report

#15

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

Dordt University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Sioux Center, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

Dordt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Dordt University is $22,821 for iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Elementary Education at Dordt University

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lamoni, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Graceland Lamoni is $18,800 for iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Graceland University - Lamoni Elementary Education Report

#17

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#18 in overall quality

Mount Mercy University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Mount Mercy is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mount Mercy, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Mercy is $20,957 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at Mount Mercy

#18

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Drake University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Drake is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k list, Drake has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drake is $26,589 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Elementary Education at Drake

#19

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa
#19 in overall quality

Upper Iowa University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Upper Iowa University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fayette, Iowa. It awarded 66 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

UIU also made our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for UIU is $18,943 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Upper Iowa University Elementary Education Report

#20

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, Iowa
#21 in overall quality

Briar Cliff University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Briar Cliff University is a small school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 6 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k list, Briar Cliff has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Briar Cliff is $18,662 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Elementary Education at Briar Cliff University

#21

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Davenport, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $27,002 for iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Ambrose University.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Saint Ambrose University

#22

Clarke University

Dubuque, Iowa
#23 in overall quality

Clarke University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Clarke University is located in Dubuque, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Clarke also took the #23 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clarke University is $33,213 for iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Elementary Education at Clarke

#23

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa
#20 in overall quality

University of Dubuque landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

UD also took the #20 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dubuque is $28,437 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UD Elementary Education Report

#24

Iowa Wesleyan University

Mount Pleasant, Iowa
#24 in overall quality

Iowa Wesleyan University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s elementary teaching students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree elementary teaching students whose families make $48-$75k list, Iowa Wesleyan has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Wesleyan is $26,364 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Elementary Teaching students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Elementary Education at Iowa Wesleyan

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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 Vgrigas.

Featured Teacher Education Schools

Find Schools Near You