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2027 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in Iowa

[Ethnic Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong ethnic studies education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for ethnic studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in Iowa

2027 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in Iowa

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in ethnic studies, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools

1

Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA

$68,196 In-State Tuition & Fees

$17,154 Avg Student Debt

$62,830 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in ethnic studies, no school beat Grinnell College this year. Set in the town of Grinnell, Grinnell College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,196. Ethnic Studies graduates carry a median of $17,154 in student loans. Soon after graduation, ethnic studies degree recipients from Grinnell College generally make around $38,888. Set against $17,154 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

$11,283 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,500 Avg Student Debt

$64,762 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in ethnic studies will find it at University Of Iowa, which ranked #2. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the ethnic studies program here. Soon after graduation, ethnic studies degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $34,216. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Iowa admits about 84% of applicants.

View All Ethnic Studies Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.