Top Value Iowa Colleges

Below you will find a list of the top value colleges in Iowa that we found to provide the highest academic and career-based value for students.  In our study, we utilized a number of data sources from the US Census Bureau to the US Department of Education coupled with student and alumni feedback to ascertain the important elements of value in a college education.  Our team collected college data and arrived at the top value Iowa colleges for you to research further.  Remember to use your best judgment and prioritize your academic goals and career aspirations to narrow down your list of top colleges.

List of Top Value Iowa Colleges

Grinnell College is a private, coed, residential liberal arts and sciences college founded in 1846 and is located in Grinnell Iowa. The community here embraces intellectual journeys of all kinds. They aim to provide individualized guidance to dive deeper and define new directions to students. They have 3,000+ internship opportunities in the U.S. and Abroad. The student-faculty ratio is 9:1 and conducts 500+ free events, lectures, performances and symposia each year. Grinnell College also showed consideration to their students when they eliminated student loans in financial aid packages with scholarships in response to the financial hardship that everyone faces amidst the pandemic.

St Luke’s College is located in Sioux City and aims to provide high quality, health system-based education to individuals who aspire to become competent and compassionate health care providers for over 100 years. They are the region’s smallest and most unique institution of higher learning. They offer bachelor’s degree completion programs designed to enhance the academic and professional experiences of nurses as well as of allied health care program graduates. These programs will cater knowledge and skills that are needed to manage and coordinate care for diverse individuals. They take much pride in their excellent reputation for preparing graduates to pass national licensure examinations and practice as registered healthcare professionals. More than 2,800 alumni from St. Luke’s College are employed in different healthcare positions in the community and in the nation.

American College of Hairstyling – Des Moines was founded in 1899 and originally named as The Moler Barber College. They are the second oldest school in the nation and today, the curriculum includes core skills of barbering in addition to the latest techniques of men’s and women’s hairstyling. The educational programs offered here are designed to prepare the graduate for the Iowa State Barbering Exam. Each educational program has different enrollment requirements and depending on the prior experience and educational goals of the student, the programs will differ in length and content. American College of Hairstyling guarantees that students are supervised by licensed instructors and trained on all the latest styles and techniques. Completion of their programs will lead to employment in the barbering and beauty fields.

Divine Word College is the only private undergraduate Roman Catholic seminary in the U.S. Founded by the Divine Word Missionaries in 1964 and is located in Epworth, Iowa, and is the largest missionary and congregation of men in the Catholic Church. Today, there are more than 6000 Divine Word Missionaries working in more than 80 countries. They combined liberal arts education with spiritual formation and mission preparation. DWC also offers certified and well-established English as a Secondary Language program through their intensive English Language Institute. Typically, their enrollment reaches 100+ full time students from as many as 20 countries on virtually every continent. Their students include Catholic seminarians, men and women in vows and laypersons.

Luther College was established in 1861 as a Lutheran seminary by Norwegian immigrants but today the school is an institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2021, the upper campus was listed as the Luther College Campus Historic District. Luther College is a private liberal arts college, headquartered in the beautiful Decorah, Iowa. They are currently offering 60+ Majors, Minors, and Programs. The faculty that trains the students inspire them for life. Luther College is the intersection of passionate people and big ideas. Among 2017 graduates of Luther, 94% went on to employment, graduate or professional school, or to volunteer positions in just seven months.

Iowa School of Beauty – Ottumwa was founded in 1923 by Elzora Horner, but in 1973, it was bought by William Oswald. Iowa School of beauty is dedicated to training students for a career that they love. They put earnest efforts in guiding their students toward achieving their career goals. They want to see their students grow personally and professionally and provide them the education at a fair cost. They are known to offer low-cost services on their student salon floor. Programs for cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, and massage therapy are all available.

Drake University is a private university that was founded in 1881. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa and offers undergraduate and graduate programs. They also have professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. The law school at Drake University is among the 25 oldest in the country. 98.1% of their students were able to launch their career or begin grad school within six months of graduation. They have 130+ programs of study in six colleges and schools and maintain a 10:1 student/faculty ratio. 100% of their first year, full-time students receive a Presidential Scholarship.

Capri College – Cedar Rapids was founded in 1966 and since then, they have been providing “cutting edge” beauty education and support to motivated individuals seeking to get ahead in a rewarding, creative career. They have a long-standing relationship with many salon and spa employers and learn from them the things that they need to improve. The community involvement they have had also allowed them to assist their students with many employment options. And since they are not a corporate chain or franchise, Capri College has the freedom to adapt to industry trends as they happen, then supplement curriculum to make sure students get the modern skills needed to succeed. Their students experience being heard and valued as a contributing member of the school and not just a number. These are what they proudly offer: hands-on training with real clients in their onsite salon, personal guidance from industry experienced instructors, fun and supportive atmosphere, field trips, and a 2-week Immersion Experience before committing.

Cornell College was originally named Iowa conference Seminary founded by George Bryant Bowman in 1853. It is a private liberal arts college located in Mount Vermont, Iowa and in 1857, its name was changed to Cornell College. They are the first College at west of Mississippi to recognize that men and women are equals in rights and privileges, the first Iowa College to graduate a woman. Cornell College was the first in the nation to pay a professional salary to a woman that is equal to that of her male colleagues.  They were also among the first to recognize the science of education, to add sociology to the curriculum, and among the first and the oldest departments of geology in Iowa. Until today, Iowa still continues to offer innovative curriculum, courses and programs that are designed to change lives.

Dordt College is a private Christian university founded in 1955 and is affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church in North America. They have a beautiful 150-acre campus to give space for all sorts of activities. More than 20% of their students actively participate in music, theatre or other arts programs. The athletics of Dordt is guided by a distinctive view both on play and on competition. They compete in 18 varsity sports including volleyball, golf, cross-country and dance. There are more than 40 bachelor’s degrees offered at Dordt and 83% of their 1,500 students live on campus.

PCI Academy – Ames is one of the two schools of PCI Academy and was founded in 1978 by the Lokken family. Since then, they have been the model school for more than 30 schools around the country. Their goal is to give nationwide placement assistance for each and every graduate. PCI Academy proudly says that they have connections with over 4000 Summit salons and spas nationwide. They ensure to give their students the business training needed for a successful and prosperous career in the beauty industry. PCI also knows that their students have busy schedules, so they made sure that the programs they offer have a variety of flexible schedule options.

Buena Vista University is a private university founded in 1891. Headquartered in Storm Lake, Iowa and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. They have always been dedicated to cultivating relationships with businesses and organizations. BVU also made learning more personal, students can personalize their learning experience whether they are a freshman, a transfer student, a graduate student, or completing their bachelor’s degree. They also offer hybrid programs which combine the benefit of live video instruction with the convenience of learning online. Hybrid students join weekly zoom class, complete their coursework online and receive individualized advice from local BVU site staff.

Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college that is located in Orange City, Iowa. It was founded in 1882 and is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. Northwestern College is committed to provide a Christian liberal arts education in the context of community among learners both on campus and online. Bachelor’s degrees in traditional and professional programs, as well as certificate and graduate degree programs are all available here. There are 135 academic programs, including majors, minors, pre-professional programs and even career concentrations. Northwestern College says that their grads’ stats prove the value of their academic programs.

Iowa State University is a public land-grant research university founded in 1858. It is the largest university in the state of Iowa and is located in Ames. Students here receive great academic start in learning communities. Students stay active in 800+ student organizations, internships, undergrad research, and study abroad. They let their students learn from world-class scholars who are tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. Since Iowa State University is a land-grant university, this means that they open higher education for all, teach practical classes, and share knowledge far beyond campus.

Central College is a four-year private liberal arts college founded in 1853. They are located in Pella, Iowa and are affiliated with the Reformed Church in America and NCAA Division III athletics. They are known for their academic rigor, character formation, leadership, STEM, global experiential learning, and athletics, service, and sustainability education. Central College has always been dedicated in helping their students discover and develop their greatest potential. They aim to nurture the development of the mind as they foster spiritual and emotional maturity and physical well-being. Central College is accredited by Higher Learning Commission, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, State of Iowa Board of education, Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Educators, National Association of Schools of Music, and American Chemical Society. They are also recognized as a leader in environmental stewardship not only in Iowa, but also in the Midwest.

Coe College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1851. It is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities. 100% of the students here are guaranteed an internship, research or off-campus study opportunity. The average class size of Coe College is 16 and 40% of their students are double majors yet still graduate in four years. Nearly 100% of their graduates are employed while some continued in Grad School a year after graduation. What the Coe College can guarantee is this: their connections become their student’s connections as well.

Simpson College is a Methodist liberal arts college founded in 1860. Located in Indianola, Iowa and had been accredited by North Central Association since 1913. At Simpson College, most of the students are double majors but still manage to graduate in four years. 98.6% of their graduates reported employment, enrollment for grad school, military, or service within just six months after graduation. They are also very proud to be the only private college in Iowa with a comprehensive speech and debate program. Their alumni are everywhere making it a worldwide network of professionals and entrepreneurs.

University of Iowa is a public research university founded in 1847. They are located in Iowa City, Iowa and are the oldest and the second-largest university in the state. When the U.S. News & World Report added a new ranking, which recognizes the teaching of writing and communications across disciplines, University of Iowa made it to the list. This made them the only public institution to be added to the list, joining universities such as Harvard, Duke, Yale, and Princeton. University of Iowa’s theatre arts students also received the spotlight when Brillian Qi-Bell and Alexi Bolden had been selected to receive prestigious scholarships sponsored by “Saturday Night Live”, Second City, and a “Hamilton” alumnus. In addition to all of these, University of Iowa is known to rise to the principles of diversity and equity.

Loras College is a private Catholic College founded in 1839. They are located in Dubuque, Iowa and have an enrollment of approximately 1,600 students. They are the oldest post-secondary institution in the state of Iowa. 100% of their undergraduate students received financial aid.  In the previous year, Loras College reported that 98.8 % of their graduates were able to get employment or continued their education. They placed as the second among Iowa private colleges and universities in student return on investment.

Additional College Research

For additional information about MatchCollege, visit our world-class college search tools or locate the top degree programs available online.  In addition, you may find it useful to start with our award-winning list of college and degree rankings for this academic year.  Be your own advocate and invest the time needed today to find the best college program for you.