by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in Iowa, narrowing things down is no easy task. We have ranked **4** programs by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual reviewed 4 graduate schools on more than 20 objective measures 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.
Here is the early-career salary range across the top-ranked graduate schools:
Learn more about these excellent graduate schools below:
Drake University tops our 2026 ranking of the best graduate schools in Iowa. Located in Des Moines, IA, Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution. Drake University posts a six-year graduation rate of 73%. In-state tuition and fees run about $51,960. Drake University graduates report median early-career earnings of $56,228. Drake University students take on a median of $22,273 in debt.
The strong outcomes at Iowa State University earned it the #2 place in Iowa. Located in Ames, IA, Iowa State University is a public institution. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $53,900. The median student debt is $23,495.
Out of the 4 graduate schools in Iowa in this year's ranking, University Of Iowa landed the #3 spot. Located in Iowa City, IA, University Of Iowa is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $57,375 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $24,463.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Graduate schools are scored on 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.