2024 Best Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa
20
Colleges in Iowa
5,724
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Ranked #2 in popularity,
liberal arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 20 schools in Iowa to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,724 degrees in liberal arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Liberal Arts School
The liberal studies program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Liberal Arts rankings. For our Best Overall Liberal Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Liberal Arts Rankings by Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Liberal Arts Schools in Iowa ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Liberal Arts in Iowa
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the liberal studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Iowa Schools in Liberal Studies
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
10th
Most Popular In IA
218
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
University of Iowa is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in liberal arts. Iowa is a very large public university located in the small city of Iowa City. A Best Colleges rank of #84 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.
There were about 218 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Iowa
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
18th
Most Popular In IA
68
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
University of Northern Iowa is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in liberal arts. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #199 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNI is a great university overall.
There were approximately 68 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UNI in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Northern Iowa
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IA
1,045
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Des Moines Area Community College is a good choice for students interested in a degree in liberal arts. Located in the 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 1045 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at DMACC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Des Moines Area Community College
It's hard to beat Simpson College if you want to pursue a degree in liberal arts. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Indianola. A Best Colleges rank of #549 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Simpson College is a great college overall.
There were roughly 14 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Simpson College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Simpson College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In IA
440
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1003 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa Western Community College is a great college overall.
There were roughly 440 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa Western Community College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Iowa Western Community College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In IA
419
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the town of Fort Dodge, Iowa Central Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1041 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Iowa Central Community College is a great college overall.
There were about 419 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa Central Community College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Iowa Central Community College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
16th
Most Popular In IA
80
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #75 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.
There were about 80 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Iowa State University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
22nd
Most Popular In IA
Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Des Moines. A Best Colleges rank of #1217 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Grand View University is a great university overall.
There were about 17 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Grand View University in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Grand View University
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
13th
Most Popular In IA
142
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Marshalltown Community College is a small public college located in the rural area of Marshalltown. This college ranks 30th out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.
There were approximately 142 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Marshalltown Community College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Marshalltown Community College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
15th
Most Popular In IA
114
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1303 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Western Iowa Tech Community College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 114 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Western Iowa Tech Community College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Western Iowa Tech Community College
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