2026 Best Value Management Science Schools in Iowa
[Management Science](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/management-science-quantitative-methods/management-science/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for management science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Management Science Schools in Iowa
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the management science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Management Science Schools
For return on investment in management science, no school beat Iowa State University this year. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,881. Management Science graduates carry a median of $23,495 in student loans. Soon after graduation, management science degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $53,900. That is a strong return on a $23,495 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Saint Ambrose University earned it the #2 place for management science. Saint Ambrose University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Davenport. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,658. Typical student debt for management science graduates is $26,935. Early-career management science graduates make about $49,039. Set against $26,935 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Students looking for strong value in management science will find it at Cornell College, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Mount Vernon, Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $52,660 in tuition and fees. Management Science graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, management science degree recipients from Cornell College generally make around $42,127. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
More Management Science Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
