Rankings / By State
Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Iowa
- 12
- Schools
- $53,912
- Avg. Earnings
- 53%
- Avg. Graduation
- $22,075
- Avg. Net Price
- $24,037
- Avg. Debt
CollegeRanker Research
What Surprised Us Most
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Graduate earnings span a wide band on this list, from $47,361 at the low end to $60,787 at the top. That 1.3× spread shows how much outcomes vary within a single category.
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Coe College offers the strongest payback. Graduates earn a median of $57,125 against $18,745 in annual net price, the best earnings-to-cost ratio in this ranking.
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The most budget-friendly option on this list is Graceland University-Lamoni, at $18,504 annually in net price.
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Completion rates separate this field: Loras College graduates 69% of its students, well above the 53% list average. Finishing what you start matters as much as where you start.
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Debt-to-earnings ratios favor Waldorf University: graduates owe only 0.37× their yearly income, the most manageable debt burden on the list.
Surprising Comparisons
- The top spot belongs to Waldorf University ($51,165 earnings), not the highest earner, Mount Mercy University ($60,787). That is what weighting mobility and value over salary alone produces.
- Price and payoff diverge sharply here. Graceland University-Lamoni ($18,504/yr) and Morningside University ($31,320/yr) produce graduates earning $47,361 and $55,494 respectively, a far narrower earnings gap than the $12,816 cost difference would suggest.
- On a cost-adjusted basis, Coe College outperforms Mount Mercy University: similar career earnings at a much lower net price.
The Takeaway
The through line among the top-ranked schools is plain. They pair solid graduate earnings with affordable costs and meaningful social mobility. Prestige and selectivity matter far less than whether students end up better off.
What This Means for Students
Your shortlist should start with Coe College and Loras College. For each school, look up the net price your family would actually pay, weigh it against typical graduate earnings, and build the decision around the return instead of the name recognition.
Why this ranking matters
These schools are ranked on outcomes that compound: graduate earnings, upward mobility, debt, and value, all drawn from federal tax records and Scorecard data rather than reputation surveys. The list rewards results over prestige, led by institutions whose graduates earn a median of about $54K ten years after enrollment.
How we measure this — full methodology →How we rank · 4 pillars
Federal-source data only. Build your own weighting →
Data Behind This Page Updated 2026-06-22
Source datasets
Methodology
Schools are scored on the CollegeRanker 4-Pillar Algorithm: Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25–35%), Academic Quality (15–20%), and Value (20–25%). Every weight is published and every figure traces to a public dataset.
See the full methodology and weights →Confidence notes
- Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
- Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
- Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.
Limitations
- Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
- Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
- An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
- Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.
At a Glance
How the Top Schools Compare
| School | Earnings | Net Price | Graduation | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Waldorf University #1 overall | $51,165 ▼ -5% vs avg | $19,693 | 24% | 78 |
| 2 Coe College #2 overall | $57,125 ▲ +6% vs avg | $18,745 | 62% | 70 |
| 3 Simpson College #3 overall | $59,274 ▲ +10% vs avg | $21,936 | 64% | 69 |
| $60,787 ▲ +13% vs avg | $20,168 | 57% | 69 | |
| $52,824 ▼ -2% vs avg | $21,774 | 55% | 68 |
Score uses our 4-pillar methodology. Earnings % is vs. this list's average.
See full ranking →Executive Summary
Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Iowa
This analysis ranks 12 institutions on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost. Across the list, alumni earn a median of $53,912 ten years after enrolling, against an average graduation rate of 53% and an average net price of $22,075.
Key takeaways
- Strongest Earnings-to-Cost Ratio: Coe College — Net Price: $18,745 | Graduation Rate: 62%
- Strongest Completion Outcomes: Loras College — 69% completion rate
- Highest Earnings Generator: Mount Mercy University — Median alumni earnings: $60,787
Data Insight
Private nonprofit colleges cost 110% more in net price than publics, while their graduates earn 21% more.
Legal Profession Analysis
What does this ranking tell us about the legal profession and the justice system?
$53,650
Median earnings (10yr)
55%
Median graduation rate
$21,245
Median net price
1.6%
Avg. mobility rate
Legal education is high-stakes. Graduates carry significant debt into a profession where earnings split sharply between large-firm and public-sector tracks, and bar passage is non-negotiable. The programs that deliver value combine strong bar preparation, real placement into legal employment, and costs that do not force graduates onto the large-firm track just to service loans.
The median graduation rate across these 12 schools is 55%. Median graduate earnings reach $53,650 ten years after enrollment, roughly $5,650 more than the national worker average of $48,000. Average net price, the cost after grants, is $21,245 a year, and median federal debt at graduation is about $24,350. Some 37% of students receive Pell grants, and mobility, the share of low-income students who reach the top quintile, averages 1.6%.
The earnings premium at the top of legal education masks a long tail of modest outcomes, and debt amplifies every decision. With median earnings of $53,650 and typical debt of $24,350, choosing a program with strong bar-passage rates and employment outcomes matters far more than chasing a brand name.
The podium
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Full rankings
Why it ranks #1
Waldorf University lands at #1 with a 78/100 composite, led by social mobility (91/100) and pulled down by academic quality (41/100). Graduates earn a median $51,165 a decade after enrolling, 5% below this list's average, and net price runs $19,693 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #2
Coe College lands at #2 with a 70/100 composite, led by social mobility (84/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (53/100). Graduates earn a median $57,125 a decade after enrolling, 6% above this list's average, and net price runs $18,745 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #3
Simpson College lands at #3 with a 69/100 composite, led by social mobility (84/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (46/100). Graduates earn a median $59,274 a decade after enrolling, 10% above this list's average, and net price runs $21,936 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #4
Mount Mercy University lands at #4 with a 69/100 composite, led by social mobility (83/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (52/100). Graduates earn a median $60,787 a decade after enrolling, 13% above this list's average, and net price runs $20,168 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #5
Grand View University lands at #5 with a 68/100 composite, led by social mobility (85/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (47/100). Graduates earn a median $52,824 a decade after enrolling, 2% below this list's average, and net price runs $21,774 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #6
Buena Vista University lands at #6 with a 68/100 composite, led by social mobility (86/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (53/100). Graduates earn a median $49,156 a decade after enrolling, 9% below this list's average, and net price runs $18,846 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #7
Loras College lands at #7 with a 67/100 composite, led by social mobility (82/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (47/100). Graduates earn a median $58,289 a decade after enrolling, 8% above this list's average, and net price runs $20,716 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #8
Northwestern College lands at #8 with a 66/100 composite, led by social mobility (82/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (40/100). Graduates earn a median $49,802 a decade after enrolling, 8% below this list's average, and net price runs $25,907 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #9
Briar Cliff University lands at #9 with a 66/100 composite, led by social mobility (85/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (50/100). Graduates earn a median $54,475 a decade after enrolling, 1% above this list's average, and net price runs $23,907 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #10
Morningside University lands at #10 with a 64/100 composite, led by social mobility (84/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (31/100). Graduates earn a median $55,494 a decade after enrolling, 3% above this list's average, and net price runs $31,320 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #11
Graceland University-Lamoni lands at #11 with a 62/100 composite, led by social mobility (67/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (50/100). Graduates earn a median $47,361 a decade after enrolling, 12% below this list's average, and net price runs $18,504 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what carries it up the list, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #12
University of Dubuque lands at #12 with a 60/100 composite, led by academic quality (67/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (45/100). Graduates earn a median $51,190 a decade after enrolling, 5% below this list's average, and net price runs $23,386 a year. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Cut it by what you care about
The same 12 schools, re-ranked by the outcome that matters to you.
Where the programs are
This ranking scores 12 institutions on graduation rates, graduate earnings, debt burdens, and social mobility data from Opportunity Insights. Every data point comes from federal sources. No surveys, no opinions.
Social mobility carries the heaviest weight in our algorithm. We use Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card — built on 30 million anonymized tax records — to measure whether a college changes a family's economic trajectory across generations. Schools that take low-income students and launch them into higher earnings rank higher than schools that admit wealthy students and take credit for their success.
The transparency penalty matters here. Schools that don't report their data get scored lower than schools that do. If an institution won't show you its numbers, we think you should know that before you write them a tuition check.
The story behind the ranking
A ranking gives you an order; these charts give you the shape. They show how this group of schools spreads across the four things that decide whether a degree pays off — what graduates earn, whether they finish, how far they move up, and what it costs. Look for the standouts, the outliers, and the trade-offs the list alone can't show.
Earnings Outcomes
What graduates earn 10 years after enrolling. Data from College Scorecard.
Distribution of Median Earnings
Earnings vs. Net Price
Top-left = best value. Top-ranked schools are highlighted.
Completion & Access
Graduation rates and who gets in. Data from College Scorecard & IPEDS.
Graduation Rates
Pell Grant Rate vs. Graduation Rate
Right = more low-income students. Higher = more graduate.
What the Mobility Data Says
The backbone of this ranking is social-mobility data from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, which draws on more than 30 million tax records. A school's mobility rate is the share of its students who move from the bottom income quintile to the top. Among the 10 schools on this list with available data, that rate averages 1.6%. Northwestern College leads the group at 2.8%, with Morningside University (1.8%) and Buena Vista University (1.6%) close behind.
Who gets in matters as much as what happens after. Across these schools, an average of 7.6% of students start in the bottom income quintile. Northwestern College leads at 20.8%, which signals an admissions door that is actually open to low-income students. Schools that pair high access with high mobility are the ones driving generational change.
Once low-income students enroll, their odds of reaching the top income quintile average 25.4% across this list. Simpson College posts the highest success rate at 39.7%. Access without completion and career momentum is an incomplete picture, and this is the number that completes it.
Social capital, measured by economic connectedness, captures the degree of cross-class friendship on campus, another dimension Opportunity Insights ties to long-run outcomes. Across these schools it averages 1.73 against a national benchmark of 1.0. Simpson College reaches 1.78, the highest on the list.
Mobility, access, and social-capital figures from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card & the Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas.
Cost & Debt
What families actually pay and what students owe. Data from College Scorecard.
Median Debt at Graduation
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Iowa: Your Questions, Answered
What is the #1 school in the Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Iowa ranking? +
Waldorf University in Forest City, IA ranks #1 in our 2026 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Iowa ranking. It earns the top spot on the strength of a median $51,165 in graduate earnings ten years after enrollment and a 24% graduation rate. Our score is built entirely from federal data on graduation rates, graduate earnings, debt, and social mobility. Reputation surveys play no part.
Which school has the highest graduate earnings? +
Mount Mercy University posts the highest median earnings on this list: $60,787 ten years after enrollment, well above the $53,912 average across the 12 ranked schools with earnings data. Earnings that outpace cost are what separate a degree that pays off from one that does not.
Which school offers the best value? +
On a pure return-on-cost basis, Coe College leads: graduates earn a median $57,125 against net price of about $18,745 a year, the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio in the ranking. Applicants should weigh that payback against sticker price rather than prestige.
Which school has the highest graduation rate? +
Loras College has the highest graduation rate in this ranking at 69%, compared with a 53% average across the list. Completion matters because the students who finish are the ones who actually capture the earnings and mobility gains a degree promises.
How much does it cost to attend these schools? +
The average net price, meaning what students actually pay after grants and scholarships, is about $22,075 a year across the 12 ranked schools with cost data. Graceland University-Lamoni is among the most affordable at roughly $18,504. Net price is a far better guide to affordability than the published sticker price.
How is the Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Iowa ranking calculated? +
We score every school on a four-pillar algorithm: economic outcomes (graduate earnings and debt), social mobility (Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, built on more than 30 million anonymized tax records), academic quality (graduation and retention), and value (net price and loan burden). Social mobility carries the heaviest weight, so schools that lift low-income students into higher earnings rank above those that simply admit wealthy students. Every input comes from federal data, and schools that withhold their numbers are scored lower for it.
How many schools are ranked and where does the data come from? +
This ranking evaluates 12 institutions using the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, the Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card and Social Capital Atlas, Times Higher Education, and NCES IPEDS. There are no opinion surveys or paid placements. The order is determined by the data alone and refreshed as new federal figures are released.
Sources & Citations
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