2026 Best Value Human Services Schools in Iowa
[Human Services](/majors/social-services-public-administration/human-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for human services students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Human Services Schools in Iowa
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the human services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Human Services Schools
For return on investment in human services, no school beat Iowa Central Community College this year. Set in the town of Fort Dodge, Iowa Central Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,496, while out-of-state students pay about $7,788. Students borrow a median of $16,135 to complete the human services program here. Human Services graduates of Iowa Central Community College earn a median of $39,624 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Buena Vista University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in human services, landing the #2 spot this year. Buena Vista University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Storm Lake. Students from in state pay about $41,798 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for human services graduates is $29,317. Early-career human services graduates make about $44,780. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Buena Vista University admits about 78% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Upper Iowa University one of the best values for human services. Set in the rural area of Fayette, Upper Iowa University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $19,475 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for human services graduates is $45,388. Early-career human services graduates make about $39,389. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
More Human Services Rankings
View All Human Services Rankings >
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 · 13 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.
