Ranking

Best Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Colleges in Iowa 2026

27 Iowa colleges offering Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, ranked by EduGradify value grade.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $8,059
Top earnings 10y: $71,901
Public / Private: 13 / 12

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, IA · Public

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

Iowa Central Community College

Fort Dodge, IA · Public

ROI score: 11.27
Net price: $9,328
Earnings 10y: $42,046
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, IA · Public

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

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA · Public

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

Indian Hills Community College

Ottumwa, IA · Public

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

Northeast Iowa Community College

Calmar, IA · Public

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

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, IA · Public

ROI score: 8.86
Net price: $11,451
Earnings 10y: $40,562
Acceptance: Open / not reported

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA · Public

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

Northwest Iowa Community College

Sheldon, IA · Public

ROI score: 8.58
Net price: $14,800
Earnings 10y: $50,776
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#10

Iowa State University

Ames, IA · Public

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

#11

Iowa Lakes Community College

Estherville, IA · Public

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

#12

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA · Private Non-Profit

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

#13

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, IA · Public

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

#14

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA · Public

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

#15

Simpson College

Indianola, IA · Private Non-Profit

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

#16

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA · Private Non-Profit

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

#17

Waldorf University

Forest City, IA · Private Non-Profit

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

#18

Graceland University-Lamoni

Lamoni, IA · Private Non-Profit

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

#19

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA · Private Non-Profit

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

#20

Drake University

Des Moines, IA · Private Non-Profit

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

#21

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA · Private Non-Profit

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

#22

Clarke University

Dubuque, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.66
Net price: $24,479
Earnings 10y: $55,396
Acceptance: 71.8%

#23

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.65
Net price: $23,634
Earnings 10y: $53,460
Acceptance: 79.9%

#24

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.47
Net price: $23,386
Earnings 10y: $51,190
Acceptance: 88.6%

#25

Dordt University

Sioux Center, IA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.09
Net price: $25,807
Earnings 10y: $52,559
Acceptance: 68.5%

How we picked this list

This list starts with Iowa schools with positive Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 7.81 (13 public, 12 private).

Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.

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 score 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?

27 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.