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2026 Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools in Iowa

[Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor](/majors/education/teaching-french-foreign-language/english-as-a-second-or-foreign-language-esl-language-instructor/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools in Iowa

2026 Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools in Iowa

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools

1

University Of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA

$9,936 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,250 Avg Student Debt

$55,177 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Northern Iowa earned the #1 spot for value among teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor schools in Iowa. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,936, while out-of-state students pay about $21,712. Teaching English As A Second Or Foreign Language/esl Language Instructor graduates carry a median of $26,250 in student loans. Early-career teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates make about $41,267. Set against $26,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Northern Iowa admits about 93% of applicants.

2

Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA

$41,798 In-State Tuition & Fees

$29,317 Avg Student Debt

$49,156 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Buena Vista University one of the best values for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. Buena Vista University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Storm Lake. Students from in state pay about $41,798 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates is $29,317. Soon after graduation, teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor degree recipients from Buena Vista University generally make around $44,780. Set against $29,317 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.

View All Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 6 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.