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2026 Best Value Athletic Training Schools in Iowa

[Athletic Training](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-professions/athletic-training/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong athletic training education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for athletic training students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Athletic Training Schools in Iowa

2026 Best Value Athletic Training Schools in Iowa

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in athletic training, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Athletic Training Schools

1

University Of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA

$9,936 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,250 Avg Student Debt

$55,177 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Northern Iowa tops our 2026 list of the best value athletic training schools in Iowa. University Of Northern Iowa is a large public school located in the city of Cedar Falls. Students from in state pay about $9,936 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,712. Athletic Training graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Early-career athletic training graduates make about $46,054. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. University Of Northern Iowa admits about 93% of applicants.

2

Iowa State University
Ames, IA

$10,787 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$63,386 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa State University earned it the #2 place for athletic training. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,787, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the athletic training program here. Soon after graduation, athletic training degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $53,900. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.

View All Athletic Training Rankings >

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 · 7 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.