New Rankings for Iowa’s Best Colleges

"Early decision" college-application deadline is November 1st. Consider these Iowa schools.

With decisions about what college to attend looming, WalletHub took a look at the top-performing schools at the lowest cost to undergrads. Of the 1,000 schools that WalletHub looked at, there were 12 Iowa colleges on the list. The list was comprised from 30 key measures grouped into the 7 different categories. Some of the categories were Student Selectivity, Cost, and Financing and Career Outcomes.

We will give you the top 12 colleges in Iowa in order and also where they ranked on the list of 2019 College Ranking: Best College & Universities.

1. Grinnell College (50th)
2. Drake University (141)
3. Coe College (153rd)
4. University of Iowa (175th)
5. Luther College (228th)
6. Central College (229th)
7. Simpson College (260th)
8. Northwestern College (267th)
9. Iowa State University (275th)
10. Clarke University (369th)
11. Wartburg College (409th)
12. University of Northern Iowa (415th)

In the 7 categories, Grinnell College scored pretty high giving them an overall score of 68.52 and earning the 50th spot on the list. Here is a quick breakdown of the scores Grinnell got in each category.

Grinnell College (1 = Best; 10 = Average; 19 = Worst)

• 1^st – Admission Rate
• 19^th – Net Cost
• 2^nd – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 13^th – On-Campus Crime
• 2^nd – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 1^st – Graduation Rate
• 4^th – Post-Attendance Median Salary

The number one college in the country is MIT in Boston. To see the entire list of the 2019 College Ranking: Best Colleges & Universities, click here.