2023 Best Nursing Schools in Iowa
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Iowa. In total, 2,966 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Iowa.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for healthcare students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Healthcare Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Schools in Iowa to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 34 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best programs for healthcare students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Iowa
The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Colleges.
Top 10 Best Nursing Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Luther College the best school in Iowa for nursing students. Luther is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Decorah.
On average, nursing graduates from Luther take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Northwestern College is a great place for nursing students. Located in the distant town of Orange City, NWC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from NWC carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Iowa list. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public school with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Iowa take out is $24,687. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $221, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Out of the 34 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, St Luke’s College landed the # 4 spot on the list. St Luke's College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux City.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at St Luke's College take out is $23,000.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Graceland University - Lamoni. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Iowa list. Graceland Lamoni is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote area of Lamoni.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Graceland Lamoni carry an average student debtload of $28,584.
Dordt University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Iowa list. Located in the town of Sioux Center, Dordt is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Dordt accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Mercy College of Health Sciences landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines, Mercy College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at Mercy College of Health Sciences accumulate an average of around $30,295 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $330, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Allen College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. Allen College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Waterloo.
Nursing majors at Allen College take out an average of $30,510 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $242.
With a ranking of #9, Northeast Iowa Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. NICC is a small public school located in the rural area of Calmar.
While working on their degree, nursing majors at NICC accumulate an average of around $25,275 in student debt.
Read full report on Nursing at Northeast Iowa Community College
Saint Ambrose University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from St. Ambrose University take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $500, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 14,890 |
| Missouri | 6,840 |
| Nebraska | 1,908 |
| Kansas | 2,633 |
| South Dakota | 1,022 |
| North Dakota | 976 |
More Nursing Rankings in Iowa
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
One of 30 majors within the healthcare area of study, nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.
Nursing Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 266,651 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,104 |
| Nursing Administration | 9,838 |
| Nursing Practice | 7,992 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 5,092 |
| Nursing Science | 4,600 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,287 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,021 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,936 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 1,883 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 773 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 563 |
| School Nursing | 553 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 509 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 444 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 419 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 331 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 181 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 57 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 53 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 14 |
| Forensic Nursing | 14 |
Majors Similar to Nursing
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 89,359 |
| Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services | 84,492 |
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 84,274 |
| Allied Health Professions | 82,308 |
| Public Health | 40,596 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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