2027 Best Value Public Health Schools in Iowa
[Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/) 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 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for public health students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Public Health Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public health, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Health Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Northern Iowa the best value for a degree in public health in Iowa. University Of Northern Iowa is a large public school located in the city of Cedar Falls. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,936, while out-of-state students pay about $21,712. Students borrow a median of $22,635 to complete the public health program here. Public Health graduates of University Of Northern Iowa earn a median of $46,054 early in their careers. Set against $22,635 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Mount Mercy University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public health, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Cedar Rapids, Mount Mercy University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $40,878 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $27,709. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Mount Mercy University generally make around $50,431. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
University Of Iowa came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value public health schools. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, while out-of-state students pay about $33,371. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $22,469. Early-career public health graduates make about $48,836. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Iowa admits about 84% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in public health will find it at Saint Ambrose University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Davenport, Saint Ambrose University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $36,658. Public Health graduates carry a median of $27,528 in student loans. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Saint Ambrose University generally make around $57,252. That is a strong return on a $27,528 median debt. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
More Public Health Rankings
View All Public Health Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 4 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.
