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Source: National Center for Educational Statistics. This is the most recent data available as of January 2020
Questions & Answers
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What do all these numbers mean?
All costs are the average net cost paid by families in each income bracket. Net cost is the total cost of attendance minus government grants and institutional scholarships. Loans of any kind are not included. Figures are based on data from the 2017-18 school year, which is the latest available as of January 2020.
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What is “Total Cost” on the chart?
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for 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)
There are detailed chart below for each school that shows these expenses. Click here to go to the individual cost breakdown for schools.
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How can I use this information?
This information is useful for building a realistic college budget. It's a good place to start until you better understand your specific circumstances. For example, let's say your income is $100,000 per year. This chart shows that the average state school would run $17,515 and the average private school would be $23,502. You can also get information on specific Iowa schools in the chart above or the tables below.
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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:
- Families with higher incomes ($75,000-$110,000 and $110,000+) will most likely pay close to full price at the public schools.
- Private colleges have a higher list price but offer more discounts. This brings their net price much closer to the cost of state-funded schools.
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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.
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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.
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The costs on this chart seemed large, how can families afford to pay it?
For many families paying for college is not easy, but in the end they figure out. Most families will pay their net cost of college with some combination of:
- college savings and investments
- payments from current income
- loans
- outside scholarships (check out our Scholarship Guide For Busy Parents, which describes how you and your student can win scholarships for college and save money!)
- tax planning
- student work
Net Price:
Net price is the total cost of attendance minus the average amount of government grants and institutional scholarships awarded. This is an average, so you may pay above the average or below the average. Your exact net price is likely to be different and sometimes drastically different.
Most families will pay the net price with some combination of savings and investments, current income and various loans. Some students will also receive scholarships from sources other than the federal or state government or the college. Any scholarships and grants from these outside sources are not included in the data. However, government grants and institutional scholarships are included in the averages.
| Total Cost at University of Iowa (2017-18) | |
|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $8,965 |
| Room and Board | $10,450 |
| Books | $950 |
| Other Expenses | $2,242 |
| Total | $22,607 |
Total Cost:
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for that particular institution for the 2017-18 school year. This is the latest data available as of January 2020. Total costs include:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
| College Total Cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Family Income | IA Public $21,514 | IA Private $48,086 |
| $0 - $30k | $10,823 | $18,471 |
| $30,001 – $48k | $12,056 | $18,593 |
| $48,001 – $75k | $15,112 | $21,005 |
| $75,001 – $110k | $17,515 | $23,502 |
| $110,001+ | $18,388 | $27,043 |
Public vs. Private Averages
This table shows the average total cost of attendance for the Iowa public and private colleges we have included in our analysis. The costs include a breakdown of the average net price paid by family income. Notice that the average private college is $6,000-$9,000 more than the average public school, depending on your income bracket. It is important to stress that these are averages. Most families will not be average, and their individual circumstances could be drastically different. I encourage all families to work with their preferred colleges to get information specific to their family.
Below are similar charts for each individual private and public college in Iowa. Click a school to view its complete chart.
Public IA Schools Cost Breakdown
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Iowa State University
Ames Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $8,636 $8,988 Room and Board $8,546 $8,720 Books $994 $1,048 Other Expenses $2,430 $2,430 Total $20,606 $21,186 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $9,801 $10,077 $30,001 - $48k $10,419 $10,712 $48,001 - $75k $13,908 $14,299 $75,001 - $110k $16,898 $17,374 $110,001+ $18,486 $19,006
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University of Iowa
Iowa City Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $8,965 $9,267 Room and Board $10,450 $11,172 Books $950 $950 Other Expenses $2,242 $2,850 Total $22,607 $24,239 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $10,599 $11,364 $30,001 - $48k $12,347 $13,238 $48,001 - $75k $15,388 $16,499 $75,001 - $110k $17,732 $19,012 $110,001+ $18,623 $19,967 -
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $8,699 $8,938 Room and Board $8,781 $8,948 Books $900 $900 Other Expenses $2,950 $2,148 Total $21,330 $20,934 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $12,069 $11,845 $30,001 - $48k $13,403 $13,154 $48,001 - $75k $16,041 $15,743 $75,001 - $110k $17,916 $17,583 $110,001+ $18,054 $17,719
Private IA Schools Cost Breakdown
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Briar Cliff University
Sioux City Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $29,786 $30,970 Room and Board $8,640 $8,896 Books $1,339 $1,323 Other Expenses $3,319 $3,297 Total $43,084 $44,486 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $15,794 $16,308 $30,001 - $48k $17,203 $17,763 $48,001 - $75k $18,630 $19,236 $75,001 - $110k $21,118 $21,805 $110,001+ $19,832 $20,477 -
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $32,854 $34,004 Room and Board $9,490 $9,538 Books $999 $999 Other Expenses $2,276 $2,267 Total $45,619 $46,808 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $15,313 $15,712 $30,001 - $48k $15,563 $15,969 $48,001 - $75k $18,506 $18,988 $75,001 - $110k $22,124 $22,701 $110,001+ $26,302 $26,988 -
Central College
Pella Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $35,930 $37,296 Room and Board $9,980 $10,280 Books $1,339 $1,323 Other Expenses $3,298 $3,199 Total $50,547 $52,098 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,053 $17,576 $30,001 - $48k $18,393 $18,957 $48,001 - $75k $19,636 $20,239 $75,001 - $110k $22,587 $23,280 $110,001+ $25,130 $25,901 -
Clarke University
Dubuque Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $31,950 $33,350 Room and Board $9,400 $9,600 Books $1,340 $1,330 Other Expenses $3,210 $3,120 Total $45,900 $47,400 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $19,010 $19,631 $30,001 - $48k $18,192 $18,787 $48,001 - $75k $22,249 $22,976 $75,001 - $110k $23,765 $24,542 $110,001+ $27,011 $27,894 -
Coe College
Cedar Rapids Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $42,430 $44,050 Room and Board $9,140 $9,480 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $2,670 $2,670 Total $55,240 $57,200 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $16,518 $17,104 $30,001 - $48k $15,724 $16,282 $48,001 - $75k $18,114 $18,757 $75,001 - $110k $22,241 $23,030 $110,001+ $25,912 $26,831 -
Cornell College
Mount Vernon Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $40,880 $42,299 Room and Board $9,110 $9,384 Books $1,339 $1,323 Other Expenses $4,625 $5,375 Total $55,954 $58,381 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $22,796 $23,785 $30,001 - $48k $23,044 $24,044 $48,001 - $75k $23,203 $24,209 $75,001 - $110k $27,139 $28,316 $110,001+ $31,427 $32,790 -
Dordt College
Sioux Center Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $30,000 $30,840 Room and Board $9,140 $9,590 Books $1,160 $1,140 Other Expenses $3,500 $3,500 Total $43,800 $45,070 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $23,225 $23,898 $30,001 - $48k $21,892 $22,527 $48,001 - $75k $24,216 $24,918 $75,001 - $110k $25,091 $25,819 $110,001+ $27,868 $28,676 -
Drake University
Des Moines Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $39,062 $41,396 Room and Board $10,158 $10,528 Books $1,100 $1,100 Other Expenses $3,700 $3,700 Total $54,020 $56,724 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $22,298 $23,414 $30,001 - $48k $24,942 $26,190 $48,001 - $75k $26,124 $27,432 $75,001 - $110k $28,763 $30,203 $110,001+ $32,322 $33,940 -
University of Dubuque
Dubuque Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $29,710 $34,110 Room and Board $9,450 $9,930 Books $950 $950 Other Expenses $900 $900 Total $41,010 $45,890 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $20,548 $22,993 $30,001 - $48k $21,105 $23,616 $48,001 - $75k $21,480 $24,036 $75,001 - $110k $23,345 $26,123 $110,001+ $30,479 $34,106 -
Graceland University-Lamoni
Lamoni Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $28,110 $29,240 Room and Board $8,480 $8,760 Books $1,250 $1,320 Other Expenses $3,290 $3,120 Total $41,130 $42,440 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $15,673 $16,172 $30,001 - $48k $16,136 $16,650 $48,001 - $75k $18,124 $18,701 $75,001 - $110k $21,356 $22,036 $110,001+ $23,606 $24,358 -
Grand View University
Des Moines Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $26,516 $27,608 Room and Board $8,834 $9,178 Books $816 $824 Other Expenses $2,770 $2,778 Total $38,936 $40,388 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $16,302 $16,910 $30,001 - $48k $16,903 $17,533 $48,001 - $75k $18,397 $19,083 $75,001 - $110k $19,675 $20,409 $110,001+ $22,456 $23,293
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Grinnell College
Grinnell Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $50,714 $52,392 Room and Board $12,400 $12,810 Books $900 $900 Other Expenses $1,800 $2,200 Total $65,814 $68,302 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $14,836 $15,397 $30,001 - $48k $11,413 $11,844 $48,001 - $75k $20,712 $21,495 $75,001 - $110k $24,241 $25,157 $110,001+ $37,443 $38,858 -
Iowa Wesleyan University
Mount Pleasant Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $24,600 $24,600 Room and Board $10,500 $10,960 Books $1,339 $1,316 Other Expenses $3,215 $3,297 Total $39,654 $40,173 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $24,558 $24,879 $30,001 - $48k $25,893 $26,232 $48,001 - $75k $26,854 $27,205 $75,001 - $110k $30,095 $30,489 $110,001+ $31,456 $31,868 -
Loras College
Dubuque Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $32,886 $34,184 Room and Board $7,840 $8,275 Books $1,100 $1,100 Other Expenses $2,011 $2,011 Total $43,837 $45,570 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $13,973 $14,525 $30,001 - $48k $13,271 $13,796 $48,001 - $75k $15,597 $16,214 $75,001 - $110k $18,537 $19,270 $110,001+ $24,158 $25,113 -
Luther College
Decorah Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $41,020 $42,290 Room and Board $8,970 $9,460 Books $1,040 $1,040 Other Expenses $3,015 $3,015 Total $54,045 $55,805 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,555 $18,127 $30,001 - $48k $17,901 $18,484 $48,001 - $75k $19,950 $20,600 $75,001 - $110k $24,659 $25,462 $110,001+ $29,263 $30,216 -
Morningside College
Sioux City Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $30,390 $31,530 Room and Board $9,390 $9,610 Books $1,339 $1,323 Other Expenses $3,215 $3,116 Total $44,334 $45,579 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $20,748 $21,331 $30,001 - $48k $21,785 $22,397 $48,001 - $75k $22,115 $22,736 $75,001 - $110k $24,463 $25,150 $110,001+ $24,718 $25,412 -
Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $30,582 $31,998 Room and Board $9,166 $9,534 Books $1,340 $1,320 Other Expenses $3,668 $3,680 Total $44,756 $46,532 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,761 $18,466 $30,001 - $48k $16,261 $16,906 $48,001 - $75k $20,981 $21,814 $75,001 - $110k $22,138 $23,016 $110,001+ $24,306 $25,271 -
Northwestern College
Orange City Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $30,200 $31,100 Room and Board $9,000 $9,200 Books $1,350 $1,300 Other Expenses $3,100 $3,000 Total $43,650 $44,600 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $21,700 $22,172 $30,001 - $48k $18,700 $19,107 $48,001 - $75k $22,426 $22,914 $75,001 - $110k $23,451 $23,961 $110,001+ $25,851 $26,414 -
Saint Ambrose University
Davenport Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $30,016 $30,894 Room and Board $10,164 $10,470 Books $1,320 $1,320 Other Expenses $3,338 $3,282 Total $44,838 $45,966 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $21,044 $21,573 $30,001 - $48k $23,298 $23,884 $48,001 - $75k $24,504 $25,120 $75,001 - $110k $25,484 $26,125 $110,001+ $26,808 $27,482 -
Simpson College
Indianola Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $37,663 $39,144 Room and Board $7,963 $8,380 Books $1,339 $1,324 Other Expenses $3,289 $3,192 Total $50,254 $52,040 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,172 $17,782 $30,001 - $48k $19,502 $20,195 $48,001 - $75k $21,116 $21,866 $75,001 - $110k $24,177 $25,036 $110,001+ $27,180 $28,146 -
Upper Iowa University
Fayette Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $29,600 $30,450 Room and Board $9,760 $8,454 Books $1,560 $1,560 Other Expenses $3,286 $3,286 Total $44,206 $43,750 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $19,008 $18,812 $30,001 - $48k $19,808 $19,604 $48,001 - $75k $22,255 $22,025 $75,001 - $110k $22,363 $22,132 $110,001+ $24,282 $24,032 -
Wartburg College
Waverly Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $39,730 $41,280 Room and Board $9,748 $9,995 Books $1,100 $1,100 Other Expenses $1,300 $1,300 Total $51,878 $53,675 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $16,774 $17,355 $30,001 - $48k $16,960 $17,547 $48,001 - $75k $19,880 $20,569 $75,001 - $110k $24,672 $25,527 $110,001+ $27,369 $28,317 -
William Penn University
Oskaloosa Year 2017-18 2018-19 Tuition and Fees $25,000 $25,600 Room and Board $6,952 $6,952 Books $1,224 $1,250 Other Expenses $4,176 $4,398 Total $37,352 $38,200 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $18,327 $18,743 $30,001 - $48k $19,976 $20,430 $48,001 - $75k $19,973 $20,426 $75,001 - $110k $21,936 $22,434 $110,001+ $20,946 $21,422
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