Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in Iowa

19 Ranked Colleges
1,245 Degrees Awarded
$22,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in Iowa

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 313,362 nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 3,013 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $64,427 and $28,543 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,245 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,922 and $25,876 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree in nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality nursing programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the nursing program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa

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

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing in Iowa

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $15,496 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend Iowa State.

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 more about Nursing at Iowa State University

#2

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 214 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also took the #3 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,145 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend University of 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Iowa Nursing Report

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Mercy College of Health Sciences landed the #3 spot on the list. Mercy College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Des Moines, Iowa. It awarded 189 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Mercy College of Health Sciences did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Mercy College of Health Sciences is $21,989 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. 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.

Full Mercy College of Health Sciences Nursing Report

#4

Allen College

Waterloo, Iowa

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Allen College landed the #4 spot on the list. Waterloo, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 123 students in 2019-2020.

Allen College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Allen College Nursing Report

#5

St Luke's College

Sioux City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St Luke’s College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa. This small school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

St Luke’s College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend St Luke’s College is $22,114 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full St Luke’s College Nursing Report

#6

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa

Northwestern College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. NWC is a small school located in Orange City, Iowa that handed out 24 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

NWC also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $22,968 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend Northwestern College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at NWC

#7

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

With a ranking of #7, Dordt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. This small school is located in Sioux Center, Iowa, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Dordt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dordt is $25,102 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students.

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 more about Nursing at Dordt University

#8

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

With a ranking of #8, Grand View University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Grand View University is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grand View University, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,826 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend Grand View University.

Read full report on Nursing at Grand View University

Graceland University - Lamoni ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. This small school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $17,650 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend Graceland Lamoni.

Read more about Nursing at Graceland University - Lamoni

#10

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

With a ranking of #10, Saint Ambrose University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students list, St. Ambrose University has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Ambrose University is $26,204 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

Read full report on Nursing at St. Ambrose University

#11

Iowa Wesleyan University

Mount Pleasant, Iowa

Iowa Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking, coming in at #11. Iowa Wesleyan University is a small school located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa that handed out 9 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa Wesleyan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $26,312 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students per year to attend Iowa Wesleyan.

Read more about Nursing at Iowa Wesleyan University

#12

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

With a ranking of #12, Upper Iowa University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Fayette, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 99 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students list, UIU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIU is $21,624 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

Read full report on Nursing at Upper Iowa University

#13

Morningside College

Sioux City, Iowa

With a ranking of #13, Morningside College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Morningside is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Morningside not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Morningside is $21,337 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students.

Read full report on Nursing at Morningside College

#14

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mount Mercy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking, coming in at #14. Mount Mercy University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It awarded 108 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mount Mercy, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Mercy University is $20,857 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing 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 Nursing at Mount Mercy

#15

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, Iowa

Briar Cliff University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Briar Cliff University is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Briar Cliff also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Briar Cliff University is $20,604 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students.

Read full report on Nursing at Briar Cliff

#16

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa

With a ranking of #16, University of Dubuque did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Dubuque, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

UD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $26,748 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend UD.

Full University of Dubuque Nursing Report

#17

Clarke University

Dubuque, Iowa

Clarke University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Clarke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dubuque, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Clarke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Clarke is $34,204 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students.

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. 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%.

Read more about Nursing at Clarke

#18

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

With a ranking of #18, Luther College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa list. Decorah, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

Luther did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Luther College is $23,620 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students.

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%.

Read more about Nursing at Luther College

#19

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa ranking. Coe is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Coe, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,955 for iowa bachelor’s degree nursing students per year to attend Coe.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing 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

Featured Nursing Schools

Find Schools Near You