2026 Best Value Women’s Studies Schools in Iowa

[Women's Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/womens-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong women's studies education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for women’s studies students.
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2026 Best Value Women’s Studies Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in women’s studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Women’s Studies Schools
For return on investment in women's studies, no school beat Iowa State University this year. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,787, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. Women's Studies graduates carry a median of $23,495 in student loans. Women's Studies graduates of Iowa State University earn a median of $53,900 early in their careers. Set against $23,495 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
University Of Iowa is a great value for students pursuing a degree in women's studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Women's Studies graduates carry a median of $26,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, women's studies degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $34,216. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
More Women's Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 6 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.