Ranking

Best Biology, General Colleges in Iowa 2026

Marshalltown Community College leads this ROI ranking with an A value grade and a 12.72 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 25 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.

33 eligible Iowa colleges reporting awards in Biology, General, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $8,059
Top earnings 10y: $71,901
Public / Private: 10 / 15

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 12.72
Net price: $8,059
Earnings 10y: $41,010
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 11.10
Net price: $9,649
Earnings 10y: $42,849
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 10.57
Net price: $9,705
Earnings 10y: $41,016
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Indian Hills Community College

Ottumwa, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 9.47
Net price: $10,693
Earnings 10y: $40,507
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Northeast Iowa Community College

Calmar, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 9.16
Net price: $11,272
Earnings 10y: $41,306
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 8.90
Net price: $17,648
Earnings 10y: $62,830
Acceptance: 14.5%

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 8.68
Net price: $15,901
Earnings 10y: $55,177
Acceptance: 92.7%

Iowa State University

Ames, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 8.52
Net price: $18,589
Earnings 10y: $63,386
Acceptance: 88.7%

Iowa Lakes Community College

Estherville, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 7.73
Net price: $13,933
Earnings 10y: $43,108
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#10

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 7.62
Net price: $18,745
Earnings 10y: $57,125
Acceptance: 64%

#11

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 7.54
Net price: $20,168
Earnings 10y: $60,787
Acceptance: 82.5%

#12

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 7.31
Net price: $14,629
Earnings 10y: $42,793
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#13

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA · Public

ROI proxy: 7.19
Net price: $22,531
Earnings 10y: $64,762
Acceptance: 83.6%

#14

Loras College

Dubuque, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 7.03
Net price: $20,716
Earnings 10y: $58,289
Acceptance: 99.9%

#15

Simpson College

Indianola, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.76
Net price: $21,936
Earnings 10y: $59,274
Acceptance: 86.2%

#16

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.52
Net price: $18,846
Earnings 10y: $49,156
Acceptance: 77.6%

#17

Waldorf University

Forest City, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.50
Net price: $19,693
Earnings 10y: $51,165
Acceptance: 77%

#18

Luther College

Decorah, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.48
Net price: $23,097
Earnings 10y: $59,850
Acceptance: 71.5%

#19

Graceland University-Lamoni

Lamoni, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.40
Net price: $18,504
Earnings 10y: $47,361
Acceptance: 80.8%

#20

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.30
Net price: $20,942
Earnings 10y: $52,766
Acceptance: 96.5%

#21

Drake University

Des Moines, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.17
Net price: $29,127
Earnings 10y: $71,901
Acceptance: 63.9%

#22

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.07
Net price: $21,774
Earnings 10y: $52,824
Acceptance: 99.1%

#23

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.03
Net price: $24,691
Earnings 10y: $59,531
Acceptance: 77.3%

#24

Central College

Pella, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 5.81
Net price: $23,377
Earnings 10y: $54,317
Acceptance: 86.2%

#25

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 5.70
Net price: $23,907
Earnings 10y: $54,475
Acceptance: Open / not reported

How we picked this list

This list starts with Iowa schools reporting awards in Biology, General, excludes low-denominator, very small and incomplete records, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The eligible set's average EduGradify ROI proxy is 7.69 (10 public, 15 private).

ROI lists require average net price of at least $4,600, enrollment of at least 500 and a reported graduation rate so unusually small denominators or incomplete records cannot dominate the public leaderboard.

Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

Marshalltown Community College in Marshalltown, IA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi proxy using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many Iowa colleges are in this list?

33 Iowa colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.

Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?

Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.