2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Iowa
[Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-nursing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Iowa
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools
For return on investment in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, no school beat Graceland University Lamoni this year. Graceland University Lamoni is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Lamoni. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,848. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $30,754. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $97,582. Set against $30,754 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Graceland University Lamoni admits about 81% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Clarke University earned it the #2 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Located in the city of Dubuque, Clarke University is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $40,910. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from Clarke University generally make around $53,450. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Students looking for strong value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing will find it at University Of Iowa, which ranked #3. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. Students from in state pay about $11,283 in tuition and fees, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $24,811. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of University Of Iowa earn a median of $96,368 early in their careers. Set against $24,811 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Briar Cliff University earned it the #4 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Set in the city of Sioux City, Briar Cliff University is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $35,642. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $29,918 in student loans. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $61,105. Set against $29,918 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 5 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.
