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2024 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa

18 Colleges in Iowa
1,352 Bachelor's Degrees
$59,823 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #2 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 18 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,352 bachelor's degrees in nursing to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa The nursing bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.


 

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Nursing in Iowa

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing.

10 Top Iowa Schools for a Bachelor's in Nursing

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
215 Annual Graduates
$59,083 Median Starting Salary
$24,811 Median Student Debt

It is difficult to beat University of Iowa if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the city of Iowa City.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $59,083 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from University of Iowa

2
Allen College crest
Allen College
Waterloo, IA
129 Annual Graduates
$56,855 Median Starting Salary
$31,000 Median Student Debt

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in nursing needs to take a look at Allen College. Located in the city of Waterloo, Allen College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Soon after graduation, nursing bachelor's recipients generally make about $56,855 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Allen College

3
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, IA
39 Annual Graduates
$63,140 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Luther College is a good decision for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing. Luther is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Decorah.

Those nursing students who get their bachelor's degree from Luther College receive $3,317 more than the typical nursing graduate.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Luther College

4
Morningside crest
Morningside College
Sioux City, IA
26 Annual Graduates
$58,354 Median Starting Salary
$28,000 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat Morningside College if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing. Located in the small city of Sioux City, Morningside is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $58,354 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Morningside College

5
278 Annual Graduates
$54,825 Median Starting Salary
$30,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Mercy College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

After graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients generally make about $54,825 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Mercy College of Health Sciences

6
73 Annual Graduates
$61,469 Median Starting Salary
$30,754 Median Student Debt

Graceland Lamoni is a small private not-for-profit university located in the remote area of Lamoni.

Soon after graduating, nursing bachelor's recipients generally earn an average of $61,469 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Graceland University - Lamoni

7
Briar Cliff crest
Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, IA

Briar Cliff is a fairly small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Sioux City.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $54,009.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Briar Cliff University

8
90 Annual Graduates
$57,077 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the nursing program report average early career income of $57,077.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Saint Ambrose University

9
St Luke's College crest
St Luke's College
Sioux City, IA
40 Annual Graduates
$56,756 Median Starting Salary
$29,000 Median Student Debt

St Luke's College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Sioux City.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the nursing program make an average of $56,756 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from St Luke’s College

10
Dordt crest
Dordt University
Sioux Center, IA
27 Annual Graduates
$57,054 Median Starting Salary
$24,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Sioux Center, Dordt is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make an average of $57,054 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in nursing from Dordt University


 

Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Missouri 228 3,224
Minnesota 215 6,914
Kansas 184 1,454
Nebraska 180 1,229
North Dakota 149 589
South Dakota 148 814

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 1,347
Nursing Practice 5

Related Major Annual Graduates
Communication Sciences 133
Public Health 117
Allied Health Professions 116
Health & Medical Administrative Services 95
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services 58
Health Sciences & Services 54
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 26
Health/Medical Prep Programs 26
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 13
Medical Illustration & Informatics 8

Notes and References

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