2026 Best Value English Schools in Iowa
[English](/majors/english-language-literature/general-english-language-literature/english/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 35 schools to find the best return on investment for english students.
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2026 Best Value English Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in english, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value English Schools
Our analysis ranked Grinnell College the best value for a degree in english in Iowa. Set in the town of Grinnell, Grinnell College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,196. Typical student debt for english graduates is $18,059. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Grinnell College generally make around $38,888. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Northern Iowa is a great value for students pursuing a degree in english, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,936, with out-of-state students paying around $21,712. English graduates carry a median of $24,274 in student loans. English graduates of University Of Northern Iowa earn a median of $41,870 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,274 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Des Moines Area Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in english, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,790 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,690. Typical student debt for english graduates is $14,956. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Des Moines Area Community College generally make around $43,121. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Iowa State University one of the best values for english. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. Students from in state pay about $10,787 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. English graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. English graduates of Iowa State University earn a median of $37,811 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Students looking for strong value in english will find it at University Of Iowa, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,000 to complete the english program here. Early-career english graduates make about $34,116. That is a strong return on a $22,000 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Luther College earned the #6 position for value in english this year. Luther College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Decorah. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $52,120. English graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Luther College generally make around $38,490. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Luther College admits about 72% of applicants.
Drake University earned the #7 position for value in english this year. Located in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $51,960. English graduates carry a median of $22,273 in student loans. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Drake University generally make around $56,228. Set against $22,273 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.
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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 · 35 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
