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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Iowa

33 Colleges in Iowa
3,004 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$66,973 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, nursing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 33 schools in Iowa to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 3,004 degrees in nursing to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Iowa Your choice of nursing school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for nursing schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Nursing Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Master's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Nursing Schools in Iowa list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Nursing in Iowa

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the nursing degree levels they offer.

10 Top Iowa Schools in Nursing

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
288 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$83,309 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in nursing has to take a look at University of Iowa. Iowa is a very large public university located in the city of Iowa City. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were about 288 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at University of Iowa earn $16,335 more than the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Iowa

2
Allen College crest
Allen College
Waterloo, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
207 Nursing Degrees Awarded
14.0% Growth in Graduates

Allen College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Waterloo, Allen College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

There were about 207 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Allen College in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from Allen College get an earnings boost of about $14,267 above the average earnings of nursing graduates.

More information about a degree in nursing from Allen College

3
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$63,140 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Luther College if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Luther is a small private not-for-profit college located in the remote town of Decorah. A Best Colleges rank of #372 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Luther is a great college overall.

There were approximately 39 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Luther in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program state that they receive average early career earnings of $63,140.

More information about a degree in nursing from Luther College

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
272 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$87,632 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Graceland University - Lamoni if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. Graceland Lamoni is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Lamoni. A Best Colleges rank of #763 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Graceland Lamoni is a great university overall.

There were roughly 272 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Graceland Lamoni in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing program at Graceland University - Lamoni earn $20,659 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Graceland University - Lamoni

5
Morningside crest
Morningside College
Sioux City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Nursing Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Sioux City, Morningside is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #438 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Morningside is a great college overall.

There were approximately 79 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Morningside in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at Morningside College earn $6,320 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in nursing from Morningside College

6
St Luke's College crest
St Luke's College
Sioux City, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$56,756 Median Starting Salary

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

There were approximately 75 nursing students who graduated with this degree at St Luke's College in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $56,756 in the first couple years of working.

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

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
323 Nursing Degrees Awarded
31.9% Growth in Graduates

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

There were about 323 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Mercy College of Health Sciences in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make around $51,688 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in nursing from Mercy College of Health Sciences

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Nursing Degrees Awarded
16.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #441 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means St. Ambrose University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 90 nursing students who graduated with this degree at St. Ambrose University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn around $57,077 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in nursing from Saint Ambrose University

9
Briar Cliff crest
Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Nursing Degrees Awarded
8.0% Growth in Graduates

Briar Cliff is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Sioux City. This university ranks 25th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 88 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Briar Cliff in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $54,009 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in nursing from Briar Cliff University

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$51,457 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Ankeny, DMACC is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #501 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DMACC is a great college overall.

There were approximately 166 nursing students who graduated with this degree at DMACC in the most recent data year. After graduation, nursing degree recipients generally make around $51,457 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Des Moines Area Community College


 

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
Minnesota 284 14,831
Missouri 283 6,440
Kansas 266 2,599
Nebraska 238 1,885
North Dakota 210 975
South Dakota 204 1,013

View All Rankings >

Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 2,545
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 296
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 41
Nursing Practice 38
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 26
Critical Care Nursing 13
School Nursing 11
Nurse Anesthetist 10
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 8
Nursing Administration 5

View All Nursing Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 1,762
Allied Health Professions 1,018
Chiropractic 606
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 477
Health & Medical Administrative Services 412
Medicine 399
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 320
Public Health 310
Dental Support Services 296
Communication Sciences 249

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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