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2026 Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Schools in Iowa

[Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science](/majors/health-care-professions/clinical-medical-lab-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for clinical/medical laboratory science students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Schools in Iowa

2026 Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Schools in Iowa

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the clinical/medical laboratory science degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Schools

1

Hawkeye Community College
Waterloo, IA

$6,525 In-State Tuition & Fees

$17,001 Avg Student Debt

$42,849 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in clinical/medical laboratory science, no school beat Hawkeye Community College this year. Located in the rural area of Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,525 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,612. Typical student debt for clinical/medical laboratory science graduates is $17,001. Early-career clinical/medical laboratory science graduates make about $41,902. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, IA

$5,790 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,250 Avg Student Debt

$41,018 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Des Moines Area Community College earned it the #2 place for clinical/medical laboratory science. Located in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public university. 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 clinical/medical laboratory science graduates is $24,250. Soon after graduation, clinical/medical laboratory science degree recipients from Des Moines Area Community College generally make around $47,585. Set against $24,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

View All Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 16 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.