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Colleges in Iowa
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2018 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in IowaAbout this List

The Best Liberal Arts Colleges ranking is based on rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with millions of reviews from students and alumni. The ranking compares more than 200 top liberal arts colleges in the U.S. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

Best Colleges
7 results

Best Programs

Students

Social Scene

Campus

Athletics

  1. Grinnell College

    • 4 Year
    • Grinnell, IA
    • 385
    1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Junior: The students are bright, curious, and from a variety of different backgrounds, making Grinnell College an engaging place to live and learn. They are committed to social justice and activism, participating in their courses in a creative and intellectual way that very clearly connects their education to their passions and "real-world" lives. The faculty dedicate a huge amount of time to ensuring their students are receiving the education they need while still reserving time for their own research and writing. However, the administration needs work on the way it communicates with the student body and implements policies, and the location of the college creates a sort of "bubble" that can cause Grinnell to completely absorb the lives of students and faculty.
    Read 385 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 20% Acceptance Rate
    • $30,010 Net Price
    • 1320-1530 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  2. Luther College

    • 4 Year
    • Decorah, IA
    • 669
    2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Sophomore: Luther college has a lovely campus with plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy! The first year dorms are separated into an athlete dorm, a arts oriented dorm, and an outdoors man dorm which allows you to meet with people you have things in common with immediately! The only issue I have with Luther is that there is little to no diversity, with only 25 black or mixed females attending within the full 4 years, resulting in only 1% of students being female students with African-american heritage.
    Read 669 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 68% Acceptance Rate
    • $25,404 Net Price
    • 928-1198 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  3. Coe College

    • 4 Year
    • Cedar Rapids, IA
    • 462
    3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Junior: I absolutely love Coe! I wasn't sure what I wanted from a college and so I came (from out of state - more than 9 hours away) with the "You can alwaaaays transfer mindset"...... Well, here I am. It is so easy to get involved, to find faculty who care about you, and to take classes you are passionate about. I was very involved in high school, but leaving Coe my resume is going to be stacked - just because they provide you with THAT much opportunity (not saying resumes are the end all be all, but you do have to use them for grad schools or jobs so its something to think about).
    Coe has taught me how to think analytically and independently, which, to me, is the ultimate "return on investment," if you will.
    Read 462 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 50% Acceptance Rate
    • $21,870 Net Price
    • 1020-1270 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  5. Central College

    • 4 Year
    • Pella, IA
    • 404
    4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Freshman: Central is located in an amazing town! Pella is a cute little Dutch town with an exciting festival every May. Pella is completely safe and everyone is very nice. All of the professors love meeting with students individually and are interested in your personal growth. The only downside is Pella is a small town, so there isn't always a lot to do, but with Des Moines close by something fun is just a short drive away.
    Read 404 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 73% Acceptance Rate
    • $22,695 Net Price
    • 950-1290 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  6. Cornell College

    • 4 Year
    • Mount Vernon, IA
    • 697
    5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    College Sophomore: I come from an area in Michigan that fits the stereotypical upper-middle class of predominantly white outlook. Everybody here wears designer outfits and drives nice cars and quite frankly are pretentious snobs. As soon as I arrived at Cornell for my visit during my senior year of high school, I immediately knew that I didn't have to pretend to be that kind of person anymore. I could be exactly who I wanted to be and everyone has been fantastic for me so far. Not to mention the One Course At A Time is amazing. Admittedly, difficult to adjust to but once I got the hang of it I never want to switch back to a traditional schedule. Being an athlete out there as well provides an even better and more in-depth experience. I get to see and interact with some parts of the school that those who aren't athletes aren't able to. I can't wait to go back!
    Read 697 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 71% Acceptance Rate
    • $27,915 Net Price
    • 970-1275 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  7. Wartburg College

    • 4 Year
    • Waverly, IA
    • 540
    6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Sophomore: I am a second year at Wartburg, and so far I have had an amazing experience. My professors have provided me with awesome opportunities to expand my skills and gain experience in my field. I have also gotten to meet so many wonderful people in the community and on campus. Everyone on campus is very willing to help, and wants to see every student succeed, which I think is awesome. The professors know all of their students by name, and know about them as well. I have been able to build valuable relationships that will help me in my future career. Overall, Wartburg is a great school, and I would recommend it to anyone!
    Read 540 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 68% Acceptance Rate
    • $22,416 Net Price
    • 902-1070 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  9. Simpson College

    • 4 Year
    • Indianola, IA
    • 302
    7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Sophomore: Simpson offers a variety of majors and activities. The classes are not bigger than 40 students. This allows professors to get to know their students. If a student is struggling, the professors go out of their way to try to help. I have learned that from experience.
    The campus is small and easy to navigate. It feels like a community. Everyone knows each other and are friendly.
    There are lots of clubs and activities to involved with. There seems to be something available for everyone.
    There are also various opportunities to play a varsity sport or participate in intramural sports.
    The classes are challenging and push you to think.
    Read 302 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 85% Acceptance Rate
    • $23,374 Net Price
    • 917-1235 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?
2018 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa
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