by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in Iowa, narrowing things down is no easy task. We have ranked **37** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual reviewed 37 colleges across over 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Your ideal college depends on your goals. Refine the list by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. You can also browse by degree level:
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our tool College Combat to build custom comparisons using the factors most important to you.
Here are the top-ranked colleges:
Leading the list is University Of Iowa, our #1 college in Iowa. Located in Iowa City, IA, University Of Iowa is a public institution. University Of Iowa graduates 75% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Graduates go on to earn a median of $57,375 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $24,463.
Drake University came in at #2 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in Iowa. Set in Des Moines, IA, Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution. Drake University posts a six-year graduation rate of 73%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $51,960. Graduates go on to earn a median of $56,228 early in their careers. Drake University students take on a median of $22,273 in debt.
Iowa State University came in at #3 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in Iowa. Set in Ames, IA, Iowa State University is a public institution. Iowa State University graduates 75% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Early-career graduates earn a median of $53,900. Iowa State University students take on a median of $23,495 in debt.
A rank of #4 makes Grinnell College one of the top colleges in Iowa. Set in Grinnell, IA, Grinnell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 88% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $68,196. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $38,888. Graduates carry a median of $17,154 in student loans.
University Of Northern Iowa came in at #5 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in Iowa. Located in Cedar Falls, IA, University Of Northern Iowa is a public institution. About 68% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $9,936, with out-of-state students paying around $21,712. Median early-career earnings reach $46,054. Graduates carry a median of $22,635 in student loans.
Luther College did well this year, earning the #6 position. Located in Decorah, IA, Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 71% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $52,120 in tuition and fees. Early-career graduates earn a median of $42,426. Luther College students take on a median of $26,967 in debt.
Northwestern College Iowa placed #7 among the best colleges in Iowa. This private not-for-profit school is set in Orange City, IA. Roughly 66% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $36,710 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $54,845 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,415 to complete a degree here.
Simpson College placed #8 among the best colleges in Iowa. This private not-for-profit school is set in Indianola, IA. About 63% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $47,656. Simpson College graduates report median early-career earnings of $48,888. Students borrow a median of $26,816 to complete a degree here.
Wartburg College placed #9 among the best colleges in Iowa. Based in Waverly, IA, Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 64% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,250. Early-career graduates earn a median of $46,918. Typical student debt is $26,793.
Coe College placed #10 among the best colleges in Iowa. Coe College is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedar Rapids, IA. The six-year graduation rate is 66%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $54,666. Median early-career earnings reach $44,511. Typical student debt is $26,900.
Saint Ambrose University placed #11 among the best colleges in Iowa. Set in Davenport, IA, Saint Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit institution. Saint Ambrose University graduates 61% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $36,658. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $57,252. Students borrow a median of $27,528 to complete a degree here.
Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center placed #12 among the best colleges in Iowa. Set in West Des Moines, IA, Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center is a private not-for-profit institution. Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center graduates report median early-career earnings of $78,524.
Central College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. Based in Pella, IA, Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Central College graduates 66% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $20,988. Central College graduates report median early-career earnings of $39,953. Central College students take on a median of $26,750 in debt.
Northwest Iowa Community College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Sheldon, IA, Northwest Iowa Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $7,350, compared with $7,650 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $54,373. Graduates carry a median of $12,271 in student loans.
Dordt College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in Sioux Center, IA, Dordt College is a private not-for-profit institution. Dordt College graduates 74% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $37,050 in tuition and fees. Early-career graduates earn a median of $54,926. The median student debt is $21,812.
Morningside College placed #16 among the best colleges in Iowa. Based in Sioux City, IA, Morningside College is a private not-for-profit institution. Morningside College posts a six-year graduation rate of 50%. In-state tuition and fees average $39,519. Median early-career earnings reach $54,988. Students borrow a median of $27,281 to complete a degree here.
Allen College landed the #17 spot in Iowa this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waterloo, IA. In-state tuition and fees run about $24,787. Graduates go on to earn a median of $82,049 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $31,000.
Loras College ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Loras College is a private not-for-profit school based in Dubuque, IA. About 68% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $39,824. Graduates go on to earn a median of $43,117 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $26,528 to complete a degree here.
Cornell College ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. This private not-for-profit school is set in Mount Vernon, IA. The six-year graduation rate is 62%. Students from in state pay about $52,660 in tuition and fees. Early-career graduates earn a median of $35,545. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete a degree here.
Palmer College Of Chiropractic Davenport ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Davenport, IA, Palmer College Of Chiropractic Davenport is a private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,760. Median early-career earnings reach $49,093.
Mount Mercy University came in at #21 in this year's ranking. Mount Mercy University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedar Rapids, IA. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $40,878. Early-career graduates earn a median of $50,431. Typical student debt is $27,709.
Grand View University did well this year, earning the #22 position. Based in Des Moines, IA, Grand View University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 54% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,762. Early-career graduates earn a median of $45,180. Typical student debt is $26,941.
Buena Vista University did well this year, earning the #23 position. Based in Storm Lake, IA, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $41,798. Median early-career earnings reach $44,780. Graduates carry a median of $29,317 in student loans.
Western Iowa Tech Community College placed #24 among the best colleges in Iowa. Located in Sioux City, IA, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,186, while out-of-state students pay about $5,330. Early-career graduates earn a median of $35,742. Typical student debt is $11,886.
Mercy College Of Health Sciences placed #25 among the best colleges in Iowa. Located in Des Moines, IA, Mercy College Of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 67%. In-state tuition and fees run about $17,664. Median early-career earnings reach $62,029. Typical student debt is $32,929.
Not far behind, these colleges also landed in the top of this year’s ranking:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Rankings consider a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
