2023 Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Iowa
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for You
Out of the majors we analyze each year, liberal arts / sciences and humanities was ranked 3rd in Iowa. In fact, 5,966 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
The Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities 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 / sciences and humanities students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
Our analysis found Eastern Iowa Community College District to be the best value school for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. Located in the midsize city of Davenport, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges are $4,396 a year. After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Eastern Iowa Community Colleges carry an average student debtload of $11,000.
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Our analysis found Northwest Iowa Community College to be the best value school for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. 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 / sciences and humanities graduates from Northwest Iowa Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,204.
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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 & Humanities 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. After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from DMACC carry an average student debtload of $11,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $64, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indian Hills Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Iowa list. Located in the town of Ottumwa, IHCC is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at IHCC are $4,560 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at IHCC take out is $11,000.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kirkwood Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Iowa list. Kirkwood Community College is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids.
Kirkwood Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,308 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Kirkwood Community College take out is $12,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $59.
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Ellsworth Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the distant town of Iowa Falls, Ellsworth is a public college with a fairly small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ellsworth are $5,040 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Ellsworth take out is $12,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $70, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #7, Marshalltown Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. 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. On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Marshalltown Community College take out $10,262 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #8, Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the small city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Western Iowa Tech Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,802 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at Western Iowa Tech Community College take out an average of $13,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Southeastern Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Iowa ranking. 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. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at Southeastern Community College take out an average of $9,051 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Iowa Western Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. 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 / sciences and humanities graduates from Iowa Western Community College carry an average student debtload of $12,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $97.
Request InformationBest Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Plains States Region
Explore all the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Kansas | 6,339 |
| Minnesota | 6,264 |
| South Dakota | 222 |
| Missouri | 8,280 |
| Nebraska | 1,612 |
| North Dakota | 953 |
More Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Rankings in Iowa
Majors Related to Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 556,813 |
Majors Similar to Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Visual & Performing Arts | 149,215 |
| English Language & Literature | 54,635 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 33,333 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 27,459 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 19,993 |
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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jacques Sablet (Switzerland, Morges, 1749-1803).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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