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Net Price of Iowa Colleges by Income

Get a free PDF of all Iowa college costs conveniently in one place.

College

Avg. Net Cost (by Family Income Bracket)

Name
Total Cost Per Year
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Briar Cliff University Sioux City, IA
Total Cost Per Year $50,010
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $19,435
  • $17,357
  • $23,260
  • $23,338
  • $25,265
Buena Vista University Storm Lake, IA
Total Cost Per Year $52,899
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $14,583
  • $15,328
  • $16,286
  • $19,059
  • $22,791
Central College Pella, IA
Total Cost Per Year $35,177
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $14,745
  • $16,426
  • $19,418
  • $22,308
  • $25,764
Clarke University Dubuque, IA
Total Cost Per Year $53,632
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $23,570
  • $23,640
  • $22,569
  • $26,435
  • $10,870
Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA
Total Cost Per Year $65,284
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $12,657
  • $13,250
  • $16,889
  • $20,555
  • $27,413
Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA
Total Cost Per Year $64,736
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $18,285
  • $17,873
  • $22,174
  • $26,134
  • $30,897
Dordt College Sioux Center, IA
Total Cost Per Year $50,100
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $20,966
  • $20,971
  • $23,110
  • $26,192
  • $31,607
Drake University Des Moines, IA
Total Cost Per Year $63,732
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $27,372
  • $25,335
  • $26,358
  • $32,215
  • $32,993
Graceland University-Lamoni Lamoni, IA
Total Cost Per Year $46,850
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $14,414
  • $15,979
  • $14,173
  • $17,970
  • $19,613
Grand View University Des Moines, IA
Total Cost Per Year $48,374
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $19,216
  • $20,268
  • $19,778
  • $19,911
  • $25,025
Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
Total Cost Per Year $79,628
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $6,739
  • $6,235
  • $6,220
  • $16,891
  • $36,265
Iowa State University Ames, IA
Total Cost Per Year $23,472
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $11,734
  • $12,465
  • $15,430
  • $19,807
  • $21,827
Loras College Dubuque, IA
Total Cost Per Year $48,587
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $18,571
  • $14,851
  • $16,930
  • $22,489
  • $23,295
Luther College Decorah, IA
Total Cost Per Year $62,885
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $16,937
  • $17,977
  • $22,180
  • $25,995
  • $31,047
Morningside College Sioux City, IA
Total Cost Per Year $51,480
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $20,667
  • $21,418
  • $22,086
  • $24,653
  • $25,258
Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA
Total Cost Per Year $53,666
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $17,255
  • $25,779
  • $21,217
  • $25,021
  • $25,996
Northwestern College Orange City, IA
Total Cost Per Year $48,800
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $21,342
  • $22,811
  • $20,674
  • $21,234
  • $26,036
Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA
Total Cost Per Year $51,298
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $20,300
  • $17,945
  • $20,111
  • $24,236
  • $25,806
Simpson College Indianola, IA
Total Cost Per Year $59,146
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $15,172
  • $17,775
  • $19,007
  • $24,744
  • $26,854
University of Dubuque Dubuque, IA
Total Cost Per Year $51,400
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $16,617
  • $19,871
  • $20,992
  • $22,386
  • $26,752
University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
Total Cost Per Year $26,883
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $13,811
  • $16,220
  • $20,136
  • $22,711
  • $24,580
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
Total Cost Per Year $21,988
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $10,170
  • $11,136
  • $13,872
  • $16,058
  • $16,396
Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA
Total Cost Per Year $48,422
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $27,503
  • $19,324
  • $19,842
  • $21,127
  • $25,690
Wartburg College Waverly, IA
Total Cost Per Year $61,870
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $16,146
  • $16,390
  • $19,521
  • $22,654
  • $26,429
William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA
Total Cost Per Year $41,700
Family Income
  • $0-$30K
  • $30-$48K
  • $48-$75K
  • $75-$110K
  • $110K+
Avg. Net Cost
  • $19,613
  • $19,318
  • $21,898
  • $22,454
  • $24,384

Source: National Center for Educational Statistics. This is the most recent data available as of January 2025.

Get a free PDF of all Iowa college costs conveniently in one place.

Questions & Answers

  • What do all these numbers mean?

    All costs shown here are the average net cost paid by families in each income bracket for one year at the college in question. Net cost is the total cost of attendance for one year, minus government grants and institutional scholarships. Figures are based on data from the 2022-23 school year, which is the latest available as of January 2025.

  • What is the “Total Cost Per Year”?

    Total cost is the total cost of attendance for one year at that particular college. It includes:

    • Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
    • Room and board (on campus)
    • Books and supplies
    • Other expenses (travel and personal)

    Click the View Details option under each school's total cost per year to see a detailed breakdown of its total cost of attendance.

  • How can I use this information?

    This information is useful for building a realistic college budget. The numbers show you what the average family in your income bracket paid at specific schools, after federal grants and institutional scholarships were awarded. Student loans are not included in these numbers. These figures are a good place to start, so you can begin your college financial planning with historical data and estimate what your costs might be, until you learn more about your specific situation.

  • Will my family pay the amount on this chart?

    Probably not. The numbers are averages. You may be below average or above average. However, there are two key points we can learn from this data:

    1. Families with higher incomes ($75,000-$110,000 and $110,000+) will pay closer to full price at public colleges.
    2. Private colleges have a higher list price, but they offer more financial aid, to help make their net price more affordable compared to public colleges.

  • Where did this information come from?

    As part of federal financial aid, colleges are required to provide detailed cost information to the U.S. government. This data is made available to the public through the National Center for Education Statistics. For more details, click here.

  • What about athletes, merit aid or minority students?

    Athletes, high achieving students, and those with minority status are averaged in with everyone else. Within each income bracket, there are families that pay more than average and families that pay less than average.

  • The costs on this chart seem large. How can families afford to pay it?

    For many families, paying for college is not easy, but most families pay their net cost of college with some combination of:

    • College savings and investments
    • Payments from current income
    • Federal student Direct Loans
    • Federal parent PLUS Loans
    • Private loans
    • Scholarships
    • Tax planning
    • Student work

    The right options depend on your student and your family situation. If you plan ahead and choose the right strategies, you can potentially make college much more affordable, and you can potentially save thousands of dollars on college costs. To learn how, sign up for my free planning e-newsletter. It's loaded with tips, articles, and resources to help you plan and pay for college with proven financial strategies.

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