2026 Best Value Nursing Administration Schools in Iowa
[Nursing Administration](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-administration/) 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 4 schools to find the best return on investment for nursing administration students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Nursing Administration Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nursing Administration Schools
University Of Iowa earned the #1 spot for value among nursing administration schools in Iowa. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Nursing Administration graduates carry a median of $24,811 in student loans. Nursing Administration graduates of University Of Iowa earn a median of $96,368 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,811 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Students looking for strong value in nursing administration will find it at Saint Ambrose University, which ranked #2. Saint Ambrose University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Davenport. In-state tuition and fees average $36,658. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the nursing administration program here. Early-career nursing administration graduates make about $57,252. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Mount Mercy University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing administration schools. Mount Mercy University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,878. Typical student debt for nursing administration graduates is $27,000. Nursing Administration graduates of Mount Mercy University earn a median of $66,647 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
More Nursing Administration Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 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.
