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2026 Best Value Adult & Continuing Education Schools in Iowa

[Adult & Continuing Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/adult-continuing-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value adult & continuing education schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Adult & Continuing Education Schools in Iowa

2026 Best Value Adult & Continuing Education Schools in Iowa

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in adult & continuing education, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Adult & Continuing Education Schools

1

Waldorf College
Forest City, IA

$25,978 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,622 Avg Student Debt

$51,165 Median Earnings (10yr)

Waldorf College earned the #1 spot for value among adult & continuing education schools in Iowa. Waldorf College is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the rural area of Forest City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $25,978. Typical student debt for adult & continuing education graduates is $24,622. Soon after graduation, adult & continuing education degree recipients from Waldorf College generally make around $63,346. Set against $24,622 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.

2

Drake University
Des Moines, IA

$51,960 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$71,901 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Drake University earned it the #2 place for adult & continuing education. Located in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $51,960. Typical student debt for adult & continuing education graduates is $27,000. Adult & Continuing Education graduates of Drake University earn a median of $46,479 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.

View All Adult & Continuing Education Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.