2027 Best Value General Human Services Schools in Iowa
[General Human Services](/majors/social-services-public-administration/human-services/human-services-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for general human services students.
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2027 Best Value General Human Services Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general human services, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Human Services Schools
Our analysis ranked Iowa Central Community College the best value for a degree in general human services in Iowa. Set in the town of Fort Dodge, Iowa Central Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,496, compared with $7,788 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,135 to complete the general human services program here. General Human Services graduates of Iowa Central Community College earn a median of $39,624 early in their careers. Set against $16,135 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general human services will find it at Buena Vista University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Storm Lake, Buena Vista University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,798. General Human Services graduates carry a median of $29,317 in student loans. Early-career general human services graduates make about $44,780. Set against $29,317 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Upper Iowa University earned it the #3 place for general human services. Upper Iowa University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $19,475. Students borrow a median of $45,388 to complete the general human services program here. Early-career general human services graduates make about $39,389. Set against $45,388 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Grand View University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value general human services schools. Located in the city of Des Moines, Grand View University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,762. Students borrow a median of $30,750 to complete the general human services program here. Early-career general human services graduates make about $40,750. That is a strong return on a $30,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 99%.
More General Human Services Rankings
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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.
