2023 Best Value Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in Iowa
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting School for You
With 883 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting is the #14 most popular major in Iowa.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in Iowa ranking. Our analysis looked at 13 schools in Iowa to see which programs offered the best value experiences for homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting 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.
Top 10 Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools
Our analysis found Des Moines Area Community College to be the best value school for homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. Located in the large suburb of Ankeny, DMACC is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DMACC are $5,220 per year. On average, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from DMACC take out $16,896 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Indian Hills Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in Iowa list. IHCC is a small public school located in the town of Ottumwa.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at IHCC are $4,560 per year.
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Out of the 13 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Hawkeye Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Hawkeye Community College are $5,977 per year. After completing their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from Hawkeye Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,793.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in Iowa list. Iowa State is a very 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. After completing their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from Iowa State carry an average student debtload of $24,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $285.
Iowa State also took the #4 spot in our Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in Iowa rankings.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Simpson College is a great value for homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting students. Located in the fringe town of Indianola, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Simpson College undergraduate students pay an average of $44,030 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting majors at Simpson College take out is $27,000.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Simpson College also is in the top 15% of our Best Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in Iowa ranking.
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Mount Mercy University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids, Mount Mercy is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mount Mercy are $36,540 per year. After completing their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from Mount Mercy carry an average student debtload of $26,365.
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Waldorf University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting programs. Waldorf is a small private for-profit school located in the remote town of Forest City.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Waldorf are $23,666 per year. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting majors at Waldorf take out an average of $22,155 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Loras College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting programs. Located in the small city of Dubuque, Loras is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Loras undergraduate students pay an average of $35,268 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from Loras take out $24,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Saint Ambrose University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting programs. Located in the city of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
St. Ambrose University undergraduate students pay an average of $33,570 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from St. Ambrose University carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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Grand View University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in Iowa list. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines.
Grand View University undergraduate students pay an average of $30,954 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting graduates from Grand View University take out $26,565 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Request InformationBest Value Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges in the Plains States Region
Explore all the Best Value Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Kansas | 722 |
| Minnesota | 1,643 |
| South Dakota | 154 |
| Missouri | 1,500 |
| Nebraska | 729 |
| North Dakota | 271 |
More Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Rankings in Iowa
Majors Related to Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | 113,121 |
| Fire Protection | 13,766 |
| Homeland Security | 7,140 |
| Security Science and Technology | 6,888 |
| Other Homeland Security | 1,695 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration & Social Service | 98,583 |
| Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies | 73,813 |
| Legal Professions | 61,055 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 4,477 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 13 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 Barry Bahler.
More about our data sources and methodologies.