Iowa has 55 colleges and universities in our database; 50 report the graduation-rate data our ranking requires. The top 25 are ranked below by a fixed four-factor formula: 6-year graduation rate (30%), median earnings 10 years after entry (30%), admission selectivity (20%), and in-state tuition affordability (20%).
25
Schools Ranked
$46,936
Avg. Earnings
57.0%
Avg. Graduation Rate
Top 25 Schools
| # | School | Graduation Rate | Median Earnings | Acceptance Rate | In-State Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa
|
87.5% | $62,830 | 10.8% | $64,862 |
| 2 |
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
|
73.1% | $64,762 | 86.0% | $10,964 |
| 3 |
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa
|
75.5% | $63,386 | 90.2% | $10,497 |
| 4 |
Orion Technical College
Davenport, Iowa
|
80.5% | $37,008 | $15,600 | |
| 5 |
Northwest Iowa Community College
Sheldon, Iowa
|
55.0% | $50,776 | $7,110 | |
| 6 |
North Iowa Area Community College
Mason City, Iowa
|
55.2% | $43,462 | $6,436 | |
| 7 |
Southwestern Community College
Creston, Iowa
|
53.0% | $40,129 | $7,024 | |
| 8 |
Divine Word College
Epworth, Iowa
|
100.0% | $15,000 | ||
| 9 |
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
|
68.9% | $55,177 | 95.0% | $9,728 |
| 10 |
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa
|
77.3% | $71,901 | 67.2% | $49,944 |
| 11 |
Northeast Iowa Community College
Calmar, Iowa
|
47.7% | $41,306 | $6,600 | |
| 12 |
Central College
Pella, Iowa
|
69.2% | $54,317 | 79.2% | $20,988 |
| 13 |
Iowa Central Community College
Fort Dodge, Iowa
|
44.0% | $42,046 | $5,376 | |
| 14 |
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary
Ankeny, Iowa
|
61.1% | $40,650 | 52.5% | $19,530 |
| 15 |
Ellsworth Community College
Iowa Falls, Iowa
|
42.6% | $40,562 | $5,304 | |
| 16 |
Indian Hills Community College
Ottumwa, Iowa
|
40.4% | $40,507 | $4,872 | |
| 17 |
Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs, Iowa
|
40.1% | $42,793 | $6,780 | |
| 18 |
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City, Iowa
|
40.2% | $40,473 | $5,042 | |
| 19 |
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
|
40.5% | $41,016 | $5,980 | |
| 20 |
Southeastern Community College
West Burlington, Iowa
|
43.3% | $36,882 | $6,300 | |
| 21 |
Marshalltown Community College
Marshalltown, Iowa
|
37.4% | $41,010 | $5,304 | |
| 22 |
Upper Iowa University
Fayette, Iowa
|
41.5% | $52,766 | 54.2% | $19,000 |
| 23 |
Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, Iowa
|
34.1% | $41,018 | $5,550 | |
| 24 |
Emmaus Bible College
Dubuque, Iowa
|
81.7% | $42,631 | 100.0% | $20,000 |
| 25 |
Eastern Iowa Community College District
Davenport, Iowa
|
34.3% | $39,060 | $4,680 |
Related Guides
See our methodology for how rankings are calculated.