Cheapest Colleges in Iowa
Sticker prices at the 28 four-year colleges we rank in Iowa run from $9,936 to $68,106 a year in tuition and fees, a gap of $58,170 between the cheapest school and the most expensive one.
The 3 public colleges here charge a median of $10,787 a year, $847 (9%) above the national public median of $9,940. The 25 private nonprofit colleges on the list charge a median of $37,050, under the $39,582 national private median. Sticker price alone rarely settles the cheapest private option, so check the net price column.
University of Northern Iowa ranks first at $9,936, ahead of Iowa State University ($10,787) and University of Iowa ($11,283).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- 4-year colleges whose main award is the bachelor's degree (public, private nonprofit and for-profit)
- Ranked by in-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Iowa
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported in-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; Iowa has 28
- Data period
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 28 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA Public · 4-year | $9,936 | $21,712 | $15,901 | 68% | 7,529 |
| 2 | Iowa State University Ames, IA Public · 4-year | $10,787 | $28,881 | $18,589 | 75% | 25,367 |
| 3 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 4-year | $11,283 | $33,371 | $22,531 | 74% | 22,264 |
| 4 | Maharishi International University Fairfield, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $16,530 | — | $14,956 | 34% | 922 |
| 5 | Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $17,664 | — | $26,924 | 56% | 867 |
| 6 | Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $19,475 | — | $20,942 | 38% | 1,994 |
| 7 | Graceland University-Lamoni Lamoni, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $20,950 | — | $18,504 | 40% | 798 |
| 8 | Central College Pella, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $20,988 | — | $23,377 | 68% | 1,070 |
| 9 | Waldorf University Forest City, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $25,978 | — | $19,693 | 24% | 1,827 |
| 10 | Wartburg College Waverly, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $26,250 | — | $32,908 | 66% | 1,452 |
| 11 | William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $29,750 | — | $22,601 | 31% | 1,301 |
| 12 | Grand View University Des Moines, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $34,762 | — | $21,774 | 55% | 1,486 |
| 13 | Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $36,658 | — | $24,691 | 62% | 1,916 |
| 14 | Northwestern College Orange City, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $36,710 | — | $25,907 | 65% | 1,175 |
| 15 | Briar Cliff University Sioux City, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $36,956 | — | $23,907 | 48% | 624 |
| 16 | Dordt University Sioux Center, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $37,050 | — | $25,807 | 68% | 1,597 |
| 17 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $39,660 | — | $31,320 | 52% | 1,163 |
| 18 | Loras College Dubuque, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $39,824 | — | $20,716 | 69% | 1,083 |
| 19 | Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $40,878 | — | $20,168 | 57% | 1,107 |
| 20 | Clarke University Dubuque, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $40,910 | — | $24,479 | 56% | 742 |
| 21 | Buena Vista University Storm Lake, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $41,798 | — | $18,846 | 54% | 1,366 |
| 22 | University of Dubuque Dubuque, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $42,095 | — | $23,386 | 41% | 1,440 |
| 23 | Simpson College Indianola, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $47,656 | — | $21,936 | 64% | 1,227 |
| 24 | Luther College Decorah, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $52,120 | — | $23,097 | 73% | 1,379 |
| 25 | Drake University Des Moines, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $52,130 | — | $29,127 | 76% | 2,543 |
| 26 | Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $52,660 | — | $23,634 | 67% | 1,086 |
| 27 | Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $54,666 | — | $18,745 | 62% | 1,164 |
| 28 | Grinnell College Grinnell, IA Private nonprofit · 4-year | $68,106 | — | $17,648 | 88% | 1,729 |
How to compare these colleges
Start with the net price column rather than the sticker price. Net price is the average a student who receives aid pays after grants and scholarships, so a school that ranks lower here can still be the cheaper choice for your family. The out-of-state column applies only if you are not a legal resident of Iowa, and only public colleges charge a separate rate.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Iowa
Best value colleges in Iowa
24 schools
Highest graduate earnings in Iowa
27 schools
Most affordable private colleges in Iowa
25 schools
Same list in nearby states
Cheapest colleges in Illinois
50 schools
Cheapest colleges in Missouri
36 schools
Cheapest colleges in Minnesota
34 schools
All 40 colleges in Iowa See the national version of this ranking