Best ROI Colleges in Iowa
25 schools ranked by median earnings divided by average net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Earnings ÷ Net Price | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown · community | 5.1× | $8,059 | 33.1% | $41,010 | — |
| 2 | Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City · community | 4.6× | $8,770 | 51.3% | $40,473 | — |
| 3 | Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge · community | 4.5× | $9,328 | 35.8% | $42,046 | — |
| 4 | Hawkeye Community College Waterloo · community | 4.4× | $9,649 | 32.3% | $42,849 | — |
| 5 | North Iowa Area Community College Mason City · community | 4.3× | $10,010 | 41.1% | $43,462 | — |
| 6 | Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids · community | 4.2× | $9,705 | 32.1% | $41,016 | — |
| 7 | Southwestern Community College Creston · community | 4.1× | $9,871 | 46.2% | $40,129 | — |
| 8 | Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa · community | 3.8× | $10,693 | 42.8% | $40,507 | — |
| 9 | Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny · community | 3.7× | $11,171 | 28.0% | $41,018 | — |
| 10 | Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar · community | 3.7× | $11,272 | 41.7% | $41,306 | — |
| 11 | Grinnell College Grinnell · private | 3.6× | $17,648 | 87.8% | $62,830 | 14.5% |
| 12 | Ellsworth Community College Iowa Falls · community | 3.5× | $11,451 | 34.7% | $40,562 | — |
| 13 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls · public | 3.5× | $15,901 | 67.0% | $55,177 | 92.7% |
| 14 | Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon · community | 3.4× | $14,800 | 61.1% | $50,776 | — |
| 15 | Iowa State University Ames · public | 3.4× | $18,589 | 74.5% | $63,386 | 88.7% |
| 16 | Emmaus Bible College Dubuque · private | 3.2× | $13,186 | 78.3% | $42,631 | 59.8% |
| 17 | Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville · community | 3.1× | $13,933 | 48.4% | $43,108 | — |
| 18 | St Luke's College Sioux City · private | 3.1× | $19,820 | 70.0% | $61,033 | 80.0% |
| 19 | Coe College Cedar Rapids · private | 3.0× | $18,745 | 65.4% | $57,125 | 64.0% |
| 20 | Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids · private | 3.0× | $20,168 | 62.2% | $60,787 | 82.5% |
| 21 | Southeastern Community College West Burlington · community | 3.0× | $12,347 | 38.2% | $36,882 | — |
| 22 | Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs · community | 2.9× | $14,629 | 30.8% | $42,793 | — |
| 23 | University of Iowa Iowa City · public | 2.9× | $22,531 | 72.3% | $64,762 | 83.6% |
| 24 | Loras College Dubuque · private | 2.8× | $20,716 | 67.8% | $58,289 | 99.9% |
| 25 | Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport · community | 2.8× | $14,017 | 35.6% | $39,060 | — |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.