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Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

8 Colleges
$28,194 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$74,729 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Computer Science School for You

Computer Science is the most popular major in Iowa with 755 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.

Today's computer science students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

The Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa ranking is one of many tools that Computer Science Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in Iowa to see which programs offered the best value experiences for compsci 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. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa

Check out the compsci programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Best Iowa Schools for Affordable Quality in Computer Science

#1

University of Iowa

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

Our analysis found University of Iowa to be the best value school for computer science students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa are $9,942 per year.

Full Computer Science at University of Iowa Report

$9,634 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Iowa State University is a great value for computer science students. Iowa State is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Ames.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Iowa State are $9,634 a year. After completing their degree, compsci graduates from Iowa State carry an average student debtload of $25,675. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $236.

Iowa State did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Computer Science Schools in Iowa list.

Read More…

#3

University of Northern Iowa

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

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Northern Iowa is a great value for computer science students. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNI are $9,053 a year. The average amount in student loans that compsci majors at UNI take out is $26,500.

Read full report on Computer Science at University of Northern Iowa

$16,530 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Maharishi International University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa list. Located in the town of Fairfield, MIU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

MIU undergraduate students pay an average of $16,530 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Computer Science at Maharishi International University

#5

Simpson College

Indianola, IA
$44,030 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Simpson College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in Iowa list. Located in the town of Indianola, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Simpson College are $44,030 per year. CompSci majors at Simpson College take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Simpson College also took the #5 spot in our Best Computer Science Schools in Iowa rankings.

Read full report on Computer Science at Simpson College

#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 computer science students. It came in at #6 on the list. Grinnell is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Grinnell.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Grinnell are $58,648 per year. After completing their degree, compsci graduates from Grinnell carry an average student debtload of $15,500.

Read full report on Computer Science at Grinnell College

#7

Luther College

Decorah, IA
$46,760 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Luther College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for computer science students. Luther is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Decorah.

Luther undergraduate students pay an average of $46,760 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, compsci graduates from Luther carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Luther is ranked #3 for overall quality for compsci in Iowa.

Read full report on Computer Science at Luther College

#8

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA
$30,954 Average Tuition & Fees

Grand View University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for computer science students. It came in at #8 on the list. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Grand View University are $30,954 a year.

Read More…

Best Value Computer Science Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Computer Science Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 229
Minnesota 1,411
Missouri 1,360
South Dakota 38
North Dakota 113
Nebraska 122

Computer Science is one of 10 different types of computer science programs to choose from.

CompSci Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Computer Science 59,565

Related Major Annual Graduates
Computer Information Systems 88,434
Information Technology 40,555
Information Science 18,325
Computer Systems Networking 14,700
Computer Software & Applications 14,336

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 8 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 Negative Space.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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