2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Computer Science School for You
In 2020-2021, 755 degrees and certificates were awarded to computer science students who went to a Iowa college or university. This makes it the #11 most popular major in the state.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa ranking. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in Iowa to see which programs offered the best value experiences for compsci students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Best Iowa Schools for Affordable Quality in Computer Science
Our analysis found University of Iowa to be the best value school for computer science students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public college with a very large student population.
Iowa undergraduate students pay an average of $9,942 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Iowa also did well on our Best Computer Science Schools in Iowa list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Out of the 8 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Iowa State is a fairly large public school located in the city of Ames.
Iowa State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,634 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Iowa State take out is $25,675. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $236.
Iowa State also made our Best Computer Science Schools in Iowa list, coming in at #4.
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Out of the 8 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNI are $9,053 per year. On average, compsci graduates from UNI take out $26,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
UNI did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Computer Science Schools in Iowa list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Maharishi International University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa list. Located in the remote town of Fairfield, MIU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
MIU undergraduate students pay an average of $16,530 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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The excellent programs at Simpson College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best computer science schools in Iowa. Located in the fringe town of Indianola, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Simpson College are $44,030 a year. While working on their degree, compsci majors at Simpson College accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, Simpson College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Computer Science Schools in Iowa list.
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Grinnell College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer science students. It came in at #6 on the list. Grinnell is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Grinnell.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Grinnell are $58,648 a year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Grinnell take out is $15,500.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Grinnell is ranked #2 for overall quality for compsci in Iowa.
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Luther College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa ranking. Luther is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Decorah.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Luther are $46,760 per year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at Luther take out is $27,000.
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Grand View University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa ranking. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Grand View University are $30,954 a year.
Request InformationBest Value Computer Science Colleges in the Plains States Region
Explore all the Best Value Computer Science Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 1,360 |
| Minnesota | 1,411 |
| Kansas | 229 |
| Nebraska | 122 |
| North Dakota | 113 |
| South Dakota | 38 |
More Computer Science Rankings in Iowa
Majors Related to CompSci
One of 10 majors within the area of study, computer science has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer Information Systems | 88,434 |
| Information Technology | 40,555 |
| Information Science | 18,325 |
| Computer Systems Networking | 14,700 |
| Computer Software & Applications | 14,336 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 8 schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Negative Space.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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