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2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

34 Ranked Colleges
2,554 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Registered Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 259,493 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

Across Iowa, there were 2,554 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in registered nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality registered 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 registered nursing program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” 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. 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.

Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa registered nursing students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Registered Nursing in Iowa (With Aid)

#1

Southeastern Community College

West Burlington, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southeastern Community College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in West Burlington, Iowa, and it awarded 64 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa registered nursing students with aid list, Southeastern Community College has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Community College is $7,223 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid.

Full Southeastern Community College Registered Nursing Report

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Des Moines Area Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ankeny, Iowa, and it awarded 184 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

DMACC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $10,076 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid per year to attend Des Moines Area Community College.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Des Moines Area Community College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Iowa Tech Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 95 students in 2019-2020.

Western Iowa Tech Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Iowa Tech Community College is $7,201 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid.

Full Western Iowa Tech Community College Registered Nursing Report

#4

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kirkwood Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this fairly large public school awarded 142 diplomas to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

Kirkwood Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $10,939 for iowa registered nursing students with aid per year to attend Kirkwood Community College.

Full Kirkwood Community College Registered Nursing Report

#24 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeast Iowa Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. Northeast Iowa Community College is located in Calmar, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NICC, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $10,505 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid per year to attend Northeast Iowa Community College.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Northeast Iowa Community College

North Iowa Area Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. North Iowa Area Community College is a public institution located in Mason City, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Iowa Area Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $8,409 for iowa registered nursing students with aid per year to attend North Iowa Area Community College.

Full North Iowa Area Community College Registered Nursing Report

Northwest Iowa Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Sheldon, Iowa, this small public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwest Iowa Community College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Iowa Community College is $12,125 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Northwest Iowa Community College

Eastern Iowa Community College District came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern Iowa Community College District is a public institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 103 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Iowa Community College District is $10,650 for iowa registered nursing students with aid.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Eastern Iowa Community College District

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $15,496 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Iowa State

#10

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, Iowa

Marshalltown Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Marshalltown Community College is located in Marshalltown, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,456 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid per year to attend Marshalltown Community College.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Marshalltown Community College

With a ranking of #11, Iowa Central Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, this small public school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

Iowa Central Community College also took the #23 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Central Community College is $10,102 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid.

Full Iowa Central Community College Registered Nursing Report

#12

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Iowa Western Community College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Iowa Western Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It awarded 119 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa Western Community College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa Western Community College is $11,477 for iowa registered nursing students with aid.

Full Iowa Western Community College Registered Nursing Report

Indian Hills Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, this small public school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified ’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,217 for iowa registered nursing students with aid per year to attend Indian Hills Community College.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Indian Hills Community College

#14

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, Iowa

Hawkeye Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Hawkeye Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Waterloo, Iowa. It awarded 128 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hawkeye Community College is $11,495 for iowa registered nursing students with aid.

Full Hawkeye Community College Registered Nursing Report

#15

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 214 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also took the #3 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,145 for iowa registered nursing students with aid.

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.

Read more about Registered Nursing at University of Iowa

With a ranking of #16, Southwestern Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. SWCC is a small public school situated in Creston, Iowa. It awarded 38 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SWCC is $9,013 for iowa registered nursing students with aid.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Southwestern Community College

#17

Iowa Lakes Community College

Estherville, Iowa

Iowa Lakes Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Estherville, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Lakes Community College is $10,509 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Iowa Lakes Community College

#18

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, Iowa

Ellsworth Community College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ellsworth Community College is a small school located in Iowa Falls, Iowa that handed out 17 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ellsworth is $11,198 for iowa registered nursing students with aid.

Full Ellsworth Community College Registered Nursing Report

#19

St Luke's College

Sioux City, Iowa

St Luke’s College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. St Luke’s College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux City, Iowa. It awarded 87 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

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

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.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at St Luke’s College

Mercy College of Health Sciences did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Mercy College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 220 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mercy College of Health Sciences also took the #5 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mercy College of Health Sciences is $21,989 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Mercy College of Health Sciences

With a ranking of #21, Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 96 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa registered nursing students with aid list, Graceland Lamoni has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Graceland Lamoni is $17,650 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid.

Full Graceland University - Lamoni Registered Nursing Report

#22

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s registered nursing degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

Grand View University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $19,826 for iowa registered nursing students with aid per year to attend Grand View University.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Grand View University

#23

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Northwestern College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Orange City, Iowa, and it awarded 24 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

NWC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern College is $22,968 for iowa registered nursing students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Northwestern College

#24

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 ’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our iowa registered nursing students with aid list, Luther has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Luther is $23,620 for Iowa Registered Nursing students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full Luther College Registered Nursing Report

#25

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Coe College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It awarded 23 ’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Coe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Registered Nursing Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Coe is $19,955 for iowa registered nursing students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Registered Nursing at Coe College

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.

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