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.
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2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Iowa
Check out the liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.
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 medium-sized 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.
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.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Northwest Iowa Community College are $6,540 a year. After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Northwest Iowa Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,204.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northwest Iowa Community College Report
The excellent programs at Des Moines Area Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in Iowa. DMACC is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at DMACC are $5,220 a 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.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Des Moines Area Community College
The excellent programs at Indian Hills Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in Iowa. Located in the remote town of Ottumwa, IHCC is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at IHCC are $4,560 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at IHCC take out is $11,000.
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 midsize city of Cedar Rapids.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Kirkwood Community College are $5,308 per 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.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Kirkwood Community College
Ellsworth Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the town of Iowa Falls, Ellsworth is a public school 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 / 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.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ellsworth Community College Report
Marshalltown Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #7 on the list. Marshalltown Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Marshalltown.
Marshalltown Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,040 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.
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 school with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Western Iowa Tech Community College are $4,802 per 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.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Western Iowa Tech Community College Report
Southeastern Community College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the town of West Burlington, Southeastern Community College is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Southeastern Community College are $6,090 a 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.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Southeastern Community College Report
Iowa Western Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #10 on the list. Iowa Western Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the 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.
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Plains States Region
Explore all the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges 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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