2026 Best Value Teacher Education Schools in Iowa
[Teacher Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong teacher education education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for teacher education students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Teacher Education Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in teacher education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Teacher Education Schools
For return on investment in teacher education, no school beat University Of Iowa this year. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,283 in tuition and fees, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $45,015. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in teacher education will find it at Simpson College, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Indianola, Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $47,656. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Teacher Education graduates of Simpson College earn a median of $42,760 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
A rank of #3 makes Saint Ambrose University one of the best values for teacher education. 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. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $28,000 in student loans. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $57,252. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Students looking for strong value in teacher education will find it at Cornell College, which ranked #4. Set in the town of Mount Vernon, Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $52,660 in tuition and fees. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from Cornell College generally make around $42,756. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Dordt College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in teacher education, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the town of Sioux Center, Dordt College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,050. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Teacher Education graduates of Dordt College earn a median of $39,749 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Dordt College admits about 68% of applicants.
More Teacher Education 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 · 5 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.
