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Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

5 Colleges
$20,723 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$32,881 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You

Liberal Arts General Studies is the most popular major in Iowa with 5,966 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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.

The Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 5 schools in Iowa to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for liberal arts students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Colleges.

Best Iowa Schools for Affordable Quality for a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts General Studies

#1

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

Our analysis found University of Iowa to be the best value school for liberal arts general studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Iowa. Iowa is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Iowa City.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Iowa are $9,942 a year. Liberal Arts majors at Iowa take out an average of $26,775 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $279.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Iowa

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Iowa State University is a great value for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Iowa State are $9,634 a year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at Iowa State accumulate an average of around $30,756 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $210.

Iowa State not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Iowa State University

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

Out of the 5 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the # 3 spot on the list. UNI is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Cedar Falls.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNI are $9,053 a year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from UNI carry an average student debtload of $29,414. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $113, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

UNI not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Northern Iowa

#4

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand View University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Grand View University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Grand View University are $30,954 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Grand View University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $32,009.

Read More…

#4

Simpson College

Indianola, IA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Simpson College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Indianola.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Simpson College are $44,030 a year.

Read More…

Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 8,280
Minnesota 6,264
Kansas 6,339
Nebraska 1,612
North Dakota 953
South Dakota 222

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 5 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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