2026 Best Value Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools in Iowa
[Occupational Therapist Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-medical-assisting-services/occupational-therapist-assistant/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for occupational therapist assistant students.
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2026 Best Value Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in occupational therapist assistant, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools
For return on investment in occupational therapist assistant, no school beat Indian Hills Community College this year. Located in the town of Ottumwa, Indian Hills Community College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,040, compared with $6,120 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for occupational therapist assistant graduates is $19,316. Soon after graduation, occupational therapist assistant degree recipients from Indian Hills Community College generally make around $36,313. That is a strong return on a $19,316 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in occupational therapist assistant will find it at Kirkwood Community College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,176, compared with $8,220 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,616 to complete the occupational therapist assistant program here. Early-career occupational therapist assistant graduates make about $33,912. Set against $18,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Hawkeye Community College one of the best values for occupational therapist assistant. Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Waterloo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,525, compared with $6,612 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for occupational therapist assistant graduates is $20,716. Early-career occupational therapist assistant graduates make about $39,614. Set against $20,716 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Brown Mackie College Quad Cities came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value occupational therapist assistant schools. Brown Mackie College Quad Cities is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Davenport. Students borrow a median of $12,554 to complete the occupational therapist assistant program here. Early-career occupational therapist assistant graduates make about $29,215. Set against $12,554 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
