Iowa Best College Rankings
Grinnell College ranked first and Drake University ranked second in Iowa college rankings. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the Iowa best colleges is $31,029 for Iowa residents and $37,836 for out-of-state students. The average acceptance rate is 75.29% and the average SAT score is 1,166. The average number of student population is 5,255 and the average student to faculty ratio is 13 to 1.
Below statements summarize the average statistics of tuition, admission, and more academic factors for Iowa best colleges. For the statistics, we only include 4 years colleges such as national universities and liberal arts colleges.
- The average undergraduate tuition & fees is $37,836 and Grinnell College has the highest tuition & fees of $64,862 and Maharishi International University has the lowest tuition & fees of $16,530.
- The average graduate tuition & fees is $16,218 and University of Iowa has the highest tuition & fees of $34,882 and Cornell College has the lowest tuition & fees of $2,800.
- The average SAT score is 1,166 and Grinnell College has the highest SAT score of 1,480 and William Penn University has the lowest score of 950.
- The average acceptance rate is 75.29% and Grinnell College has the tightest (lowest) rate of 11% and Wartburg College has the loosest (lowest) rate of 97%.
- The average student population is 5,255 and University of Iowa has the most students of 30,015 and Cornell College has the fewest students of 1,073.
- The average graduation rate is 61.32% and Grinnell College has the highest rate of 88% and William Penn University has the lowest rate of 29%.
Iowa Best Colleges Comparison
The below table compares the 19 best colleges in Iowa with important academic factors. You can sort the table by touching/clicking a column name that you want to sort.
| Rank | College Name | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Graduate Tuition & Fees | SAT Score | Acceptance Rate | Population | Graduation Rate | Student to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grinnell College Grinnell, IA | $64,862 | - | 1,480 | 10.8% | 1,759 | 88% | 9 to 1 |
| 2 | Drake University Des Moines, IA | $49,944 | $12,777 | 1,270 | 67.2% | 4,685 | 76% | 10 to 1 |
| 3 | Simpson College Indianola, IA | $46,212 | $7,244 | - | 89.1% | 1,151 | 66% | 10 to 1 |
| 4 | Luther College Decorah, IA | $50,320 | - | 1,205 | 75.3% | 1,610 | 74% | 11 to 1 |
| 5 | Iowa State University Ames, IA | $27,683 | $29,303 | 1,220 | 90.2% | 29,969 | 74% | 18 to 1 |
| 6 | Wartburg College Waverly, IA | $51,040 | $11,500 | 1,060 | 97.5% | 1,444 | 67% | 13 to 1 |
| 7 | William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA | $28,750 | $10,500 | 950 | 57.7% | 1,473 | 29% | 18 to 1 |
| 8 | Maharishi International University Fairfield, IA | $16,530 | $29,530 | - | 94.3% | 2,673 | 50% | 13 to 1 |
| 9 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA | $32,927 | $34,882 | 1,230 | 86.0% | 30,015 | 73% | 16 to 1 |
| 10 | Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA | $19,000 | $18,958 | 970 | 54.2% | 3,072 | 42% | 13 to 1 |
| 11 | Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA | $39,070 | $11,410 | - | 75.3% | 1,526 | 57% | 13 to 1 |
| 12 | University of Dubuque Dubuque, IA | $40,065 | $9,020 | - | 85.1% | 1,776 | 39% | 9 to 1 |
| 13 | Graceland University-Lamoni Lamoni, IA | $33,220 | $11,991 | - | 74.5% | 1,237 | 48% | 13 to 1 |
| 14 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA | $21,272 | $22,834 | 1,150 | 95.0% | 8,945 | 63% | 17 to 1 |
| 15 | Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA | $52,576 | - | - | - | 1,264 | 65% | 10 to 1 |
| 16 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA | $38,190 | $11,111 | - | 70.6% | 2,249 | 56% | 13 to 1 |
| 17 | Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA | $35,598 | $19,405 | 1,100 | 73.9% | 2,747 | 64% | 12 to 1 |
| 18 | Central College Pella, IA | $20,988 | - | 1,100 | 79.2% | 1,169 | 71% | 13 to 1 |
| 19 | Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA | $50,634 | $2,800 | 1,260 | 79.3% | 1,073 | 63% | 13 to 1 |
| Average | $37,836 | $16,218 | 1,166 | 75.3% | 5,255 | 61% | 13 to 1 |
Iowa Colleges by Ranking and School Type