2026 Best Value Health Care Management Schools in Iowa
[Health Care Management](/majors/health-care-professions/health-medical-administrative-services/health-care-management/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong health care management education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for health care management students.
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2026 Best Value Health Care Management Schools in Iowa
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the health care management degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Health Care Management Schools
Our analysis ranked Des Moines Area Community College the best value for a degree in health care management in Iowa. Set in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,790, compared with $6,690 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $17,000 to complete the health care management program here. Early-career health care management graduates make about $35,662. That is a strong return on a $17,000 median debt.
Waldorf College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in health care management, landing the #2 spot this year. Waldorf College is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the rural area of Forest City. In-state tuition and fees average $25,978. Typical student debt for health care management graduates is $27,086. Soon after graduation, health care management degree recipients from Waldorf College generally make around $46,923. That is a strong return on a $27,086 median debt. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Upper Iowa University earned it the #3 place for health care management. Located in the rural area of Fayette, Upper Iowa University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $19,475 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for health care management graduates is $46,649. Health Care Management graduates of Upper Iowa University earn a median of $49,916 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $46,649 median debt. The acceptance rate is 96%.
Mercy College Of Health Sciences came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value health care management schools. Mercy College Of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines. Students from in state pay about $17,664 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $32,929 to complete the health care management program here. Health Care Management graduates of Mercy College Of Health Sciences earn a median of $62,029 early in their careers. Set against $32,929 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in health care management will find it at Mount Mercy University, which ranked #5. Mount Mercy University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. Students from in state pay about $40,878 in tuition and fees. Health Care Management graduates carry a median of $27,709 in student loans. Early-career health care management graduates make about $50,431. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
More Health Care Management Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
