2026 Best Value Sustainability Studies Schools in Iowa
[Sustainability Studies](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/sustainability-science/sustainability-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. 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 sustainability studies students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Sustainability Studies Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in sustainability studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Sustainability Studies Schools
Iowa State University earned the #1 spot for value among sustainability studies schools in Iowa. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,787, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for sustainability studies graduates is $23,495. Sustainability Studies graduates of Iowa State University earn a median of $53,900 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
University Of Iowa is a great value for students pursuing a degree in sustainability studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,283 in tuition and fees, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,425 to complete the sustainability studies program here. Early-career sustainability studies graduates make about $41,618. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
More Sustainability Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 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.
