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2020 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.

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Best Colleges
7 results

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  1. Grinnell College

    • 4 Year
    • Grinnell, IA
    • 396 reviews
    #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Sophomore: Wonderful school. All of the students here are sincere and intelligent people. I'm continuously impressed by my peers everytime I go to class. Everyone is hard-working and curious, and no one would struggle to find a like-minded intellectual here.

    The professors are notable people who are well known within their respective studies, and they genuinely care about your growth and experience at the school. I used to go to a high school where I felt I learned nothing new day after day. Here, I learn both in and outside of the classroom thanks to all the amazing resources Grinnell offers.

    Kids who didn't get into Harvard but got into Grinnell are lucky. This is the school that truly will define you and make you into the well-rounded and intelligent person you may wish to be.
    Read 396 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 29% Acceptance Rate
    • $29,492 Net Price
    • 1310-1510 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  2. Luther College

    • 4 Year
    • Decorah, IA
    • 690 reviews
    #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Sophomore: My first year was an amazing wild ride! I am great friends with my roommates, I loved my music classes, and even found an interest in Norwegian. Luther College offers lots of different classes that expand on your learning and education. They also have wonderful and excellent staff! All of the professors want to know every single one of their students and they want them to succeed. The only thing I would like to see change is more availability in classes. The classes fill up extremely fast, so if you don't have an early registration time you don't have high chances of getting in the classes you want.
    Read 690 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 65% Acceptance Rate
    • $26,013 Net Price
    • 1020-1300 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  3. Coe College

    • 4 Year
    • Cedar Rapids, IA
    • 473 reviews
    #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Alum: It’s college so it’s gonna be though and have highs and lows. Overall though my college experience was top notch. I had great professors who actually cared, comfortable environment and so many opportunities thanks to Coe. The 1:3 clinical opportunity really sold me when I toured. After that the people made it feel like home!
    Read 473 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 56% Acceptance Rate
    • $21,733 Net Price
    • 1070-1330 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  4. Cornell College

    • 4 Year
    • Mount Vernon, IA
    • 712 reviews
    #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Sophomore: I like the small atmosphere and the education system known as the One Course at a time. I believe this is one of the best education curriculum's I have been in, and it's a shame more schools are not using a similar type of education system. Also the college has a very friendly enviornment it really helps that it is such a small community as well. The professors are helpful, the programs are amazing and it's a liberal arts education that really tries to help you for the future.
    Read 712 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 65% Acceptance Rate
    • $27,009 Net Price
    • 1100-1340 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  5. Central College

    • 4 Year
    • Pella, IA
    • 418 reviews
    #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Niche User: Love this place, can't wait to attend this fall! Everyone there is super friendly, the professors actually care about you and your work. They care about a lot, have fun activities and arent a party school, which was really important to me. The students are hard workers and really nice to everyone, and the admissions counselors are amazing! Everyone is kind and helpful and they make you feel at home. It can feel like they are a little expensive but they give you a ton of opportunities for scholarships! They even have a scholar day where you can earn even more money for college!
    Read 418 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 70% Acceptance Rate
    • $22,825 Net Price
    • 950-1220 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  6. Wartburg College

    • 4 Year
    • Waverly, IA
    • 563 reviews
    #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Freshman: I am attending there this fall. I love Wartburg because the staff knows me, even though I am not an official student. Whenever I have questions about the coming school year, the people I email respond almost immediately. The music department is wonderful and cares for its students. The art department has a lot of variety in classes and people involved. There are plenty of on-campus job opportunities, along with many places close to campus to work. I already have a job for this coming fall that I am extremely excited for!
    Read 563 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 77% Acceptance Rate
    • $22,976 Net Price
    • 950-1170 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?

  7. Simpson College

    • 4 Year
    • Indianola, IA
    • 318 reviews
    #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Iowa

    Niche User: Very friendly campus and environment! All of your teachers know you by name, and you know mostly everyone on campus. Classes are very small and more individualized than they would be at a bigger University. It gives you the opportunity to explore yourself more, as you are given many more opportunities to make friends and be involved. Also has a very convenient location and is not far from the city.
    Read 318 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 84% Acceptance Rate
    • $22,511 Net Price
    • 1070-1220 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?
  8. Sponsored

    University of Iowa

    • 4 Year
    • Iowa City, IA
    • 3,206 reviews

    Alum: I just graduated this semester after 4 years at the University of Iowa. I'm already missing my friends and Iowa City home. It's a big school but is also small and homey. In terms of finding a good college town, you can't beat it. The people are friendly and the beautiful downtown area is practically integrated with the campus. In academic terms, it's a very solid university with a huge array of programs and majors. It's definitely a big school for business and medical studies, but I would highly recommend it for arts and writing majors. Iowa City has a big artistic and literary scene, but also a great game day atmosphere on football Saturdays. I would say the biggest con is high tuition rates for out-of-state students. Be prepared to network, earn good grades, and make good use of university resources, and you should be able to land a job after graduation. I did, but I'm sure sad to leave!
    Read 3,206 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 86% Acceptance Rate
    • $14,845 Net Price
    • 1140-1370 SAT Range
    Will You Get In?
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