Best colleges for education in Iowa
Iowa State University ranks first in Iowa for education value (#210 nationally, value score 54.3): graduates earn $47,462 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $15,422 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 12 Iowa colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best education colleges in Iowa
Iowa State University ranks first in Iowa for education value (#210 nationally, value score 54.3): graduates earn $47,462 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $15,422 a year. 12 Iowa colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $47,548 and the average net price is $23,532 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 12 Iowa colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $47,548 and the average net price is $23,532 a year.
- The highest education earnings in the state are at University of Iowa ($51,338), ranked #2 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
- Median earnings
- $47,548
- National: $48,822
- Median net price
- $23,532
- National: $17,201
- Median federal debt
- $25,000
- education graduates
- Public colleges
- 3 of 12
- in this list
12 colleges
The Iowa ranking
Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
- Earnings
- $47,462
- Net price
- $15,422
- Federal debt
- $22,500
- Graduation rate
- 76%
- Earnings
- $51,338
- Net price
- $22,508
- Federal debt
- $25,975
- Graduation rate
- 76%
- Earnings
- $45,885
- Net price
- $16,038
- Federal debt
- $18,891
- Graduation rate
- 69%
- Earnings
- $49,289
- Net price
- $29,415
- Federal debt
- $24,125
- Graduation rate
- 71%
- Earnings
- $47,634
- Net price
- $23,689
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Graduation rate
- 70%
- Earnings
- $47,698
- Net price
- $23,374
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Graduation rate
- 68%
- Earnings
- $48,048
- Net price
- $26,095
- Federal debt
- $24,250
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Earnings
- $45,573
- Net price
- $18,855
- Federal debt
- $23,915
- Graduation rate
- 58%
- Earnings
- $47,713
- Net price
- $23,935
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Earnings
- $43,531
- Net price
- $25,944
- Federal debt
- $21,000
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Earnings
- $45,945
- Net price
- $21,119
- Federal debt
- $26,496
- Graduation rate
- 31%
- Earnings
- $45,099
- Net price
- $23,749
- Federal debt
- $25,750
- Graduation rate
- 38%
Method: the same value score as the national education ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.
Questions about education colleges in Iowa
What are the best colleges for education in Iowa?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Iowa colleges for education are Iowa State University (value score 54.3), University of Iowa (value score 51.3) and University of Northern Iowa (value score 50.9). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which Iowa college has the highest earnings for education graduates?
University of Iowa: its education graduates have median earnings of $51,338 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable education college in Iowa on this list?
Iowa State University has the lowest average net price of the ranked Iowa colleges, $15,422 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many Iowa colleges are ranked for education?
12 Iowa colleges have a education bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Iowa.