2023 Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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 and bootcamps that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. Our analysis looked at 36 schools in Iowa to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.
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Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Iowa State University the most popular school in Iowa for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 6,998 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students from Iowa who attend Iowa State full time pay an average of $9,634 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $25,446. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $23,598 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 45% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Iowa State does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 96% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Iowa is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 5,998 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students from Iowa who attend Iowa full time pay an average of $9,942 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $31,905. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Iowa accumulate an average of $23,618 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 54% were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Iowa. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 59% took at least some of their classes online.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Northern Iowa is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the medium-sized public school awarded 2,555 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
In-state students pay an average of $9,053 in tuition and fees if they attend UNI full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $19,753. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,939 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 60% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at UNI. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Upper Iowa University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular schools in Iowa. UIU is located in Fayette, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,084 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
If you want to attend UIU, expect to pay an average of $33,609 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from UIU accumulate an average of $34,703 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at UIU. In 2019-2020 about 71% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Drake University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 838 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees at Drake is $45,912. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,572 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 58% were women.
Drake does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 96% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Saint Ambrose University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 626 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Ambrose University does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $33,570. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from St. Ambrose University accumulate an average of $27,244 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at St. Ambrose University. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 4% took at least some of their classes online.
Waldorf University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in Forest City, Iowa, the small private for-profit school handed out 540 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Waldorf does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $23,666. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $27,917 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 39% of those degree recipients were women.
Waldorf does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 73% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Grand View University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Grand View University is located in Des Moines, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 521 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
If you want to attend Grand View University, expect to pay an average of $30,954 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $29,831 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 58% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Grand View University. In 2019-2020 about 28% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Grinnell College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Grinnell is located in Grinnell, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 496 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees at Grinnell is $58,648. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Around 56% of those degree recipients were women.
Luther College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. Luther is located in Decorah, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 460 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
If you want to attend Luther, expect to pay an average of $46,760 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,246 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 60% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, Luther is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
Mount Mercy University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. Mount Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 430 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $36,540 to cover tuition and fees at Mount Mercy. The school does not offer an in-state discount. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $29,114 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 68% were women.
Mount Mercy does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 27% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
University of Dubuque ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. UD is located in Dubuque, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 423 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
If you want to attend UD, expect to pay an average of $36,010 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $28,068 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 50% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at UD. In 2019-2020 about 18% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Buena Vista University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree programs. BVU is located in Storm Lake, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 399 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Bachelor’s Degree recipients from BVU accumulate an average of $31,426 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 69% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at BVU, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 55% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #14, Coe College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 395 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees at Coe is $48,822. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,555 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 59% were women.
With a ranking of #15, Dordt University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their bachelor’s degree. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Sioux Center, Iowa, and it awarded 378 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees at Dordt is $33,590. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Around 52% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Dordt. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 29% took at least some of their classes online.
Loras College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. Dubuque, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 340 students in 2020-2021.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $35,268 to cover tuition and fees at Loras. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Loras accumulate an average of $21,552 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 50% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Loras does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 65% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Simpson College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Located in Indianola, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 341 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees at Simpson College is $44,030. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Simpson College accumulate an average of $26,958 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 57% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Simpson College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 6% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Cornell College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 314 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees at Cornell College is $47,726. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Of those students who received their degree, 53% were women.
Cornell College is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Wartburg College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #19 on the list. Wartburg College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Waverly, Iowa that handed out 303 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
If you want to attend Wartburg, expect to pay an average of $47,500 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $24,201 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 64% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Wartburg. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 66% took at least some of their classes online.
Mercy College of Health Sciences did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Mercy College of Health Sciences is located in Des Moines, Iowa and has a very small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 293 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $32,347 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 87% of those degree recipients were women.
Mercy College of Health Sciences does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 81% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Graceland University - Lamoni ranked #21 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Lamoni, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 289 students in 2020-2021.
If you want to attend Graceland Lamoni, expect to pay an average of $31,920 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,121 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 56% were women.
Graceland Lamoni does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 14% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Morningside College ranked #22 on this year’s Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 285 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
If you want to attend Morningside, expect to pay an average of $35,270 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $26,099 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 62% were women.
Morningside does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 8% took at least some of their classes online.
Northwestern College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree programs. Orange City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 283 students in 2020-2021.
If you want to attend NWC, expect to pay an average of $33,590 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
NWC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 27% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Central College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Pella, Iowa, and it awarded 268 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 51% were women.
William Penn University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree programs. William Penn University is located in Oskaloosa, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 214 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $32,765 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 57% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at William Penn University. During the 2019-2020 year, about 35% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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