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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa

20 Ranked Colleges
476 Degrees Awarded
$36,993 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 556,813 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts general studies is the 1st most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 5,969 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,629 and $16,466 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 476 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,980 and $30,839 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their liberal arts general studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

Top 20 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in Iowa

1
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Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Simpson College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. Simpson College is a small school located in Indianola, Iowa that handed out 14 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Simpson College

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Maharishi International University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa. This small school is located in Fairfield, Iowa, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Full MIU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

3
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Grand View University
Des Moines, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand View University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Grand View University

4
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 218 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full University of Iowa Liberal Arts General Studies Report

5
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University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 68 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at UNI

6

Graceland University - Lamoni landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa ranking. Graceland Lamoni is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lamoni, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Graceland Lamoni

7
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Iowa Wesleyan University
Mount Pleasant, Iowa

Iowa Wesleyan University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa ranking. Located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.

Full Iowa Wesleyan Liberal Arts General Studies Report

8
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Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa

Cornell College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #8. Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mount Vernon, Iowa. It awarded 5 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Cornell College

9
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Dordt University
Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. This small school is located in Sioux Center, Iowa, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Dordt University

10
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Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

With a ranking of #10, Mount Mercy University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. Mount Mercy is a small school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 7 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Mount Mercy University

11
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University of Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa

With a ranking of #11, University of Dubuque did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Dubuque

12

Iowa State University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Iowa State Liberal Arts General Studies Report

13
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Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa

Buena Vista University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Storm Lake, Iowa, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Buena Vista University

14
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Upper Iowa University
Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. UIU is a small school located in Fayette, Iowa that handed out 8 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Full UIU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

15
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Loras College
Dubuque, Iowa

Loras College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Loras Liberal Arts General Studies Report

16
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Clarke University
Dubuque, Iowa

With a ranking of #16, Clarke University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. Clarke is located in Dubuque, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Clarke University

17
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Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa ranking. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Des Moines, Iowa. It awarded 5 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Drake University

18
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Waldorf University
Forest City, Iowa

With a ranking of #18, Waldorf University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. Forest City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Waldorf

18
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Wartburg College
Waverly, Iowa

With a ranking of #18, Wartburg College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa list. Wartburg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waverly, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Liberal Arts General Studies at Wartburg College

18
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Northwestern College
Orange City, Iowa

Northwestern College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Orange City, Iowa, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Northwestern College

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