2025 Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Iowa

Ranked #2 in popularity, general studies is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 7 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 228 associate degrees in general studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great General Studies School for Your Associate Degree

The general studies associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality general studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to general studies students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of general studies students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized general studies related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for general studies students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank General Studies Schools

The general studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Iowa.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study General Studies in Iowa

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in general studies.

Top Iowa Schools for an Associate in General Studies

1

Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, IA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

115 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in general studies needs to look into Des Moines Area Community College. Located in the large suburb of Ankeny, DMACC is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Des Moines Area Community College

2

Iowa Central Community College
Fort Dodge, IA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

16 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Iowa Central Community College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in general studies. Iowa Central Community College is a small public college located in the town of Fort Dodge.More information about a associate in general studies from Iowa Central Community College

3

Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs, IA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

64 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in an associate degree in general studies has to check out Iowa Western Community College. Located in the large suburb of Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Iowa Western Community College

4

Hawkeye Community College
Waterloo, IA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

2 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in an associate degree in general studies needs to check out Hawkeye Community College. Hawkeye Community College is a small public college located in the rural area of Waterloo.More information about a associate in general studies from Hawkeye Community College

5

Marshalltown Community College
Marshalltown, IA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

3 Annual Graduates

Marshalltown Community College is a small public college located in the town of Marshalltown.More information about a associate in general studies from Marshalltown Community College

6

North Iowa Area Community College
Mason City, IA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

3 Annual Graduates

North Iowa Area Community College is a small public college located in the rural area of Mason City.More information about a associate in general studies from North Iowa Area Community College

7

Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City, IA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

14 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Western Iowa Tech Community College

Best General Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Minnesota	299	24
Kansas	275	296
Missouri	210	1,142
Nebraska	163	14
South Dakota	148	101
North Dakota	144	9

View All Rankings >

General Studies Related Rankings by Major

General Studies is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.

Most Popular Majors Related to General Studies

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts	4,194
Individualized Studies	13

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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.