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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k

21 Ranked Colleges
6,129 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 6,129 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,768 and $15,875 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $48-$75k) in Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Des Moines Area Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ankeny, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 1,299 students in 2019-2020.

DMACC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $10,468 for iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Des Moines Area Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Des Moines Area Community College

#2

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Marshalltown Community College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k. Marshalltown, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 152 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Marshalltown Community College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $7,888 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Marshalltown Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Marshalltown Community College

#3

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 #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k. Southeastern Community College is a public institution located in West Burlington, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 216 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Southeastern Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Community College is $8,542 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Southeastern Community College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Iowa Area Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Iowa Area Community College is a small public school situated in Mason City, Iowa. It awarded 405 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Iowa Area Community College, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Iowa Area Community College is $8,707 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at North Iowa Area Community College

#5

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kirkwood Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Kirkwood Community College is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 730 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k list, Kirkwood Community College has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kirkwood Community College is $11,535 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Kirkwood Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Northeast Iowa Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northeast Iowa Community College is a public institution located in Calmar, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 139 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NICC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $11,309 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northeast Iowa Community College.

Full NICC Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Indian Hills Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ottumwa, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 349 students in 2019-2020.

IHCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $8,293 for iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indian Hills Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at IHCC

With a ranking of #8, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $14,161 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Iowa Central Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Iowa Central Community College is a small public school situated in Fort Dodge, Iowa. It awarded 454 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa Central Community College also took the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $11,400 for iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Iowa Central Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Iowa Central Community College

Northwest Iowa Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Sheldon, Iowa, this small public school handed out 67 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

Northwest Iowa Community College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Iowa Community College is $12,614 for iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northwest Iowa Community College

#11

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Iowa Western Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 490 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

Iowa Western Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa Western Community College is $12,033 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Iowa Western Community College

Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a medium-sized school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 165 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Western Iowa Tech Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Iowa Tech Community College is $7,939 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Western Iowa Tech Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Eastern Iowa Community College District landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Eastern Iowa Community College District is a public institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 504 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Iowa Community College District is $11,801 for iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Eastern Iowa Community Colleges Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#14

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, Iowa

Hawkeye Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Waterloo, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 297 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hawkeye Community College, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $11,773 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Hawkeye Community College.

Full Hawkeye Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#15

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 199 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $18,272 for iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Iowa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Iowa

#16

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 76 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $15,729 for iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#17

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, Iowa

Ellsworth Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ellsworth is located in Iowa Falls, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Ellsworth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $11,407 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ellsworth Community College.

Full Ellsworth Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Southwestern Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Southwestern Community College is a public institution located in Creston, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 120 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SWCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for SWCC is $8,259 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southwestern Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#19

William Penn University

Oskaloosa, Iowa

With a ranking of #19, William Penn University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. William Penn University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k list, William Penn University has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William Penn University is $21,361 for iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at William Penn University

#20

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

With a ranking of #20, Grand View University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k list, Grand View University has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand View University is $18,213 for Iowa Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Grand View University

Graceland University - Lamoni came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 8 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $18,800 for iowa liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Graceland University - Lamoni.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Graceland Lamoni

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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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