Data shows that students paid $16,159 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $461 more than the previous school year.
Among the 69 institutions providing full disclosure in the state, Grinnell College stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $61,480. Coe College followed with an average of $50,664 per year. Eastern Iowa Community College District students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $4,649.
Currently there are 72 higher education institutions in Iowa.
At the time, at least $358.1 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started college in Iowa. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $113.6 million.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 72 institutions in Iowa, three did not provide detailed data on tuition fees, including Palmer College of Chiropractic, UnityPoint Health-Des Moines School of Radiologic Technology, and Mercy-St Luke's School of Radiologic Technology.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Average Tuition Fees | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Grinnell College | $61,480 | 1,759 |
| Coe College | $50,664 | 1,264 |
| Wartburg College | $49,190 | 1,416 |
| Cornell College | $49,158 | 1,058 |
| Luther College | $48,160 | 1,610 |
| Drake University | $47,912 | 2,835 |
| Simpson College | $45,108 | 1,127 |
| Buena Vista University | $38,644 | 1,474 |
| University of Dubuque | $38,526 | 1,444 |
| Clarke University | $38,060 | 785 |
| Mount Mercy University | $37,606 | 1,271 |
| Morningside University | $36,610 | 1,186 |
| Loras College | $36,570 | 1,227 |
| Dordt University | $34,600 | 1,618 |
| Saint Ambrose University | $34,570 | 2,118 |
| Briar Cliff University | $34,498 | 709 |
| Northwestern College | $34,250 | 1,153 |
| Upper Iowa University | $33,639 | 2,463 |
| Grand View University | $32,068 | 1,556 |
| Graceland University-Lamoni | $31,970 | 885 |
| William Penn University | $27,800 | 1,404 |
| PCI Academy-Iowa City | $26,988 | 73 |
| PCI Academy-Ames | $26,988 | 126 |
| Waldorf University | $24,526 | 2,295 |
| Aveda Institute-Des Moines | $21,100 | 180 |
| St Luke's College | $20,940 | 196 |
| University of Iowa | $20,336 | 21,973 |
| Allen College | $20,008 | 278 |
| Emmaus Bible College | $19,800 | 206 |
| Central College | $19,800 | 1,169 |
| Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines | $19,756 | 77 |
| Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux City | $19,756 | 13 |
| La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology | $19,650 | 59 |
| La James International College-Johnston | $19,286 | 57 |
| La James International College-Ft Dodge | $19,286 | 21 |
| SOHO Hair Academy | $18,800 | 30 |
| Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | $18,740 | 377 |
| Capri College-Dubuque | $18,580 | 175 |
| Capri College-Cedar Rapids | $18,580 | 142 |
| Capri College-Davenport | $18,580 | 146 |
| Iowa State University | $17,780 | 25,241 |
| American Hair Academy | $17,590 | 20 |
| Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School | $16,915 | 43 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Cedar Falls | $16,900 | 94 |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences | $16,632 | 909 |
| Maharishi International University | $16,530 | 681 |
| Orion Technical College | $15,600 | 75 |
| Divine Word College | $14,620 | 68 |
| Faust Institute of Cosmetology-Spirit Lake | $13,450 | 19 |
| La James International College-Cedar Falls | $11,120 | 39 |
| La James International College-Davenport | $11,120 | 96 |
| University of Northern Iowa | $10,312 | 7,735 |
| Carlson College of Massage Therapy | $9,500 | 32 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | $7,096 | 1,960 |
| Northwest Iowa Community College | $6,897 | 1,811 |
| Southwestern Community College | $6,821 | 1,581 |
| North Iowa Area Community College | $6,612 | 2,479 |
| Iowa Western Community College | $6,611 | 5,342 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | $6,378 | 4,355 |
| Southeastern Community College | $6,240 | 2,476 |
| Hawkeye Community College | $6,100 | 4,787 |
| Kirkwood Community College | $5,796 | 12,406 |
| Iowa Central Community College | $5,702 | 5,058 |
| Ellsworth Community College | $5,552 | 718 |
| Des Moines Area Community College | $5,393 | 21,637 |
| Marshalltown Community College | $5,218 | 1,707 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College | $4,926 | 5,150 |
| Indian Hills Community College | $4,709 | 3,361 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District | $4,649 | 7,145 |
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