Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rate in Iowa
Ranked by graduation rate (47 colleges with at least 200 undergraduates). Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
| # | College | Graduation rate | Net price | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grinnell College Grinnell, IA · Private nonprofit | 88% | $17,648 | $62,830 |
| 2 | Aveda Institute-Des Moines West Des Moines, IA · Private for-profit | 88% | $18,552 | $36,132 |
| 3 | Emmaus Bible College Dubuque, IA · Private nonprofit | 83% | $13,186 | $42,631 |
| 4 | Iowa State University Ames, IA · Public | 75% | $18,589 | $63,386 |
| 5 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public | 75% | $22,531 | $64,762 |
| 6 | Drake University Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit | 74% | $29,127 | $71,901 |
| 7 | Luther College Decorah, IA · Private nonprofit | 71% | $23,097 | $59,850 |
| 8 | Dordt University Sioux Center, IA · Private nonprofit | 70% | $25,807 | $52,559 |
| 9 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA · Public | 68% | $15,901 | $55,177 |
| 10 | Loras College Dubuque, IA · Private nonprofit | 68% | $20,716 | $58,289 |
| 11 | Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary Ankeny, IA · Private nonprofit | 68% | $16,282 | $40,650 |
| 12 | Central College Pella, IA · Private nonprofit | 66% | $23,377 | $54,317 |
| 13 | Northwestern College Orange City, IA · Private nonprofit | 66% | $25,907 | $49,802 |
| 14 | Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA · Private nonprofit | 66% | $18,745 | $57,125 |
| 15 | Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit | 66% | $26,924 | $62,234 |
| 16 | Wartburg College Waverly, IA · Private nonprofit | 64% | $32,908 | $56,201 |
| 17 | Simpson College Indianola, IA · Private nonprofit | 63% | $21,936 | $59,274 |
| 18 | Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA · Private nonprofit | 62% | $23,634 | $53,460 |
| 19 | Buena Vista University Storm Lake, IA · Private nonprofit | 62% | $18,846 | $49,156 |
| 20 | Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA · Private nonprofit | 61% | $24,691 | $59,531 |
| 21 | North Iowa Area Community College Mason City, IA · Public | 61% | $10,010 | $43,462 |
| 22 | Southwestern Community College Creston, IA · Public | 59% | $9,871 | $40,129 |
| 23 | Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon, IA · Public | 58% | $14,800 | $50,776 |
| 24 | Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA · Private nonprofit | 58% | $20,168 | $60,787 |
| 25 | Clarke University Dubuque, IA · Private nonprofit | 56% | $24,479 | $55,396 |
| 26 | Grand View University Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit | 54% | $21,774 | $52,824 |
| 27 | Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar, IA · Public | 51% | $11,272 | $41,306 |
| 28 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA · Private nonprofit | 50% | $31,320 | $55,494 |
| 29 | Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville, IA · Public | 50% | $13,933 | $43,108 |
| 30 | Maharishi International University Fairfield, IA · Private nonprofit | 50% | $14,956 | $27,981 |
| 31 | Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City, IA · Public | 50% | $8,770 | $40,473 |
| 32 | Briar Cliff University Sioux City, IA · Private nonprofit | 48% | $23,907 | $54,475 |
| 33 | Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport, IA · Public | 45% | $14,017 | $39,060 |
| 34 | Southeastern Community College West Burlington, IA · Public | 43% | $12,347 | $36,882 |
| 35 | Hawkeye Community College Waterloo, IA · Public | 43% | $9,649 | $42,849 |
| 36 | Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, IA · Public | 43% | $9,705 | $41,016 |
| 37 | Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown, IA · Public | 42% | $8,059 | $41,010 |
| 38 | Graceland University-Lamoni Lamoni, IA · Private nonprofit | 42% | $18,504 | $47,361 |
| 39 | Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge, IA · Public | 42% | $9,328 | $42,046 |
| 40 | Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa, IA · Public | 40% | $10,693 | $40,507 |
| 41 | University of Dubuque Dubuque, IA · Private nonprofit | 40% | $23,386 | $51,190 |
| 42 | Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs, IA · Public | 40% | $14,629 | $42,793 |
| 43 | Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA · Public | 39% | $11,171 | $41,018 |
| 44 | Ellsworth Community College Iowa Falls, IA · Public | 38% | $11,451 | $40,562 |
| 45 | Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA · Private nonprofit | 34% | $20,942 | $52,766 |
| 46 | William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA · Private nonprofit | 33% | $22,601 | $48,936 |
| 47 | Waldorf University Forest City, IA · Private nonprofit | 21% | $19,693 | $51,165 |