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Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

20 Colleges
$10,213 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$29,629 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies 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 Schools in Iowa ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 20 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best value programs for liberal arts students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

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 Schools in Iowa

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for liberal arts majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools

$4,396 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Eastern Iowa Community College District the best value school in Iowa for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the city of Davenport, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges are $4,396 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges take out is $11,000.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Eastern Iowa Community College District Report

$6,540 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Northwest Iowa Community College the best value school in Iowa for liberal arts general studies students. Northwest Iowa Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Sheldon.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northwest Iowa Community College are $6,540 per year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Northwest Iowa Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,204.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Northwest Iowa Community College Report

$5,220 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Des Moines Area Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa list. DMACC is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DMACC are $5,220 per year. Liberal Arts majors at DMACC take out an average of $11,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $64.

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$4,560 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 20 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Indian Hills Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the town of Ottumwa, IHCC is a public college with a small student population.

IHCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,560 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at IHCC accumulate an average of around $11,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Indian Hills Community College

#5

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA
$5,308 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Kirkwood Community College is a great value for liberal arts general studies students. Kirkwood Community College is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Kirkwood Community College are $5,308 per year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Kirkwood Community College accumulate an average of around $12,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $59, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#6

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, IA
$5,040 Average Tuition & Fees

Ellsworth Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the town of Iowa Falls, Ellsworth is a public college with a fairly small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Ellsworth are $5,040 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Ellsworth take out is $12,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $70.

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#7

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, IA
$5,040 Average Tuition & Fees

Marshalltown Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa ranking. Marshalltown Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Marshalltown.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Marshalltown Community College are $5,040 per year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Marshalltown Community College carry an average student debtload of $10,262.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Marshalltown Community College Report

$4,802 Average Tuition & Fees

Western Iowa Tech Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Western Iowa Tech Community College are $4,802 a year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Western Iowa Tech Community College carry an average student debtload of $13,000.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Western Iowa Tech Community College Report

#9

Southeastern Community College

West Burlington, IA
$6,090 Average Tuition & Fees

Southeastern Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa list. Located in the remote town of West Burlington, Southeastern Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Southeastern Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,090 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Southeastern Community College accumulate an average of around $9,051 in student debt.

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#10

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, IA
$6,330 Average Tuition & Fees

Iowa Western Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Iowa list. Iowa Western Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Council Bluffs.

Iowa Western Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,330 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Iowa Western Community College carry an average student debtload of $12,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $97, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Iowa Western Community College

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 20 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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