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Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

9 Colleges
$32,950 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$34,710 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Social Sciences School for You

Social Sciences is one of the most popular subjects to study in Iowa. With 1,455 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 10th out of all the majors we track in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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.

The Best Value Social Sciences 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 9 schools in Iowa to see which programs offered the best value experiences for social sciences students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Iowa

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Social Sciences Colleges.

Best Iowa Schools for Affordable Quality in Social Sciences

#1

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA
$9,053 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found University of Northern Iowa to be the best value school for social sciences students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. UNI is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Cedar Falls.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNI are $9,053 a year. While working on their degree, social sciences majors at UNI accumulate an average of around $23,597 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $147, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

UNI also took the #5 spot in our Best Social Sciences Schools in Iowa rankings.

Full Social Sciences at University of Northern Iowa Report

$9,634 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 9 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college with a very large student population.

Iowa State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,634 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, social sciences majors at Iowa State accumulate an average of around $24,199 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $348, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Iowa State also took the #4 spot in our Best Social Sciences Schools in Iowa rankings.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Iowa State University

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA
$9,942 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at University of Iowa helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best social sciences schools in Iowa. Iowa is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Iowa City.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa are $9,942 per year. While working on their degree, social sciences majors at Iowa accumulate an average of around $25,358 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $308.

Iowa also claimed a spot on our Best Social Sciences Schools in Iowa list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

#4

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA
$33,609 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Upper Iowa University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Iowa list. UIU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIU are $33,609 a year. While working on their degree, social sciences majors at UIU accumulate an average of around $32,051 in student debt.

Full Social Sciences at Upper Iowa University Report

#5

Loras College

Dubuque, IA
$35,268 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Loras College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best social sciences schools in Iowa. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dubuque.

Loras undergraduate students pay an average of $35,268 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Social Sciences at Loras College Report

#6

Drake University

Des Moines, IA
$45,912 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Drake University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social sciences students. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Des Moines.

Drake undergraduate students pay an average of $45,912 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, social sciences graduates from Drake take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Drake did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Social Sciences Schools in Iowa list.

Read More…

#6

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA
$58,648 Average Tuition & Fees

Grinnell College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social sciences students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the town of Grinnell, Grinnell is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Grinnell are $58,648 per year. After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from Grinnell carry an average student debtload of $18,098.

Grinnell also made our Best Social Sciences Schools in Iowa list, coming in at #2.

Full Social Sciences at Grinnell College Report

#8

Luther College

Decorah, IA
$46,760 Average Tuition & Fees

Luther College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the town of Decorah, Luther is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Luther are $46,760 per year. The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at Luther take out is $27,000.

Read More…

#9

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, IA
$47,726 Average Tuition & Fees

Cornell College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Iowa list. Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Mount Vernon.

Cornell College undergraduate students pay an average of $47,726 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

Best Value Social Sciences Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Social Sciences Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 1,073
Minnesota 2,741
South Dakota 262
Missouri 2,156
Nebraska 833
North Dakota 194

Social Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 49,282
Economics 49,055
Sociology 38,475
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415
Criminology 11,039
Geography & Cartography 8,526
Other Social Sciences 2,414
Urban Studies 1,507
Sociology & Anthropology 541
Archeology 339
Demography & Population Studies 88

Related Major Annual Graduates
Education 327,871
Psychology 195,678
Communication & Journalism 120,571
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 55,820
History 32,731

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 9 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 AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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