2026 Best Value General Public Health Schools in Iowa
[General Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/public-health-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for general public health students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value General Public Health Schools in Iowa
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general public health degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Public Health Schools
For return on investment in general public health, no school beat University Of Iowa this year. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Students borrow a median of $22,469 to complete the general public health program here. Early-career general public health graduates make about $48,836. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Saint Ambrose University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general public health, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Davenport, Saint Ambrose University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,658. General Public Health graduates carry a median of $27,528 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general public health degree recipients from Saint Ambrose University generally make around $57,252. Set against $27,528 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Mount Mercy University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general public health schools. Mount Mercy University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. In-state tuition and fees average $40,878. Students borrow a median of $27,709 to complete the general public health program here. Early-career general public health graduates make about $50,431. Set against $27,709 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Mount Mercy University admits about 82% of applicants.
More General Public Health 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 · 8 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.
