# Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Iowa

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-06-22 | Schools: 12 | Category: By State
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-criminal-justice-iowa

## Methodology

Criminal Justice programs in Iowa ranked by outcomes and program concentration

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [Waldorf University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/waldorf-university) | Forest City, IA | 24% | $51,165 | $19,693 | $18,752 | 0.37x |
| 2 | [Coe College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/coe-college) | Cedar Rapids, IA | 62% | $57,125 | $18,745 | $27,000 | 0.47x |
| 3 | [Simpson College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/simpson-college) | Indianola, IA | 64% | $59,274 | $21,936 | $26,000 | 0.44x |
| 4 | [Mount Mercy University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/mount-mercy-university) | Cedar Rapids, IA | 57% | $60,787 | $20,168 | $23,699 | 0.39x |
| 5 | [Grand View University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/grand-view-university) | Des Moines, IA | 55% | $52,824 | $21,774 | $22,500 | 0.43x |
| 6 | [Buena Vista University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/buena-vista-university) | Storm Lake, IA | 54% | $49,156 | $18,846 | $25,000 | 0.51x |
| 7 | [Loras College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/loras-college) | Dubuque, IA | 69% | $58,289 | $20,716 | $26,000 | 0.45x |
| 8 | [Northwestern College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northwestern-college) | Orange City, IA | 65% | $49,802 | $25,907 | $23,249 | 0.47x |
| 9 | [Briar Cliff University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/briar-cliff-university) | Sioux City, IA | 48% | $54,475 | $23,907 | $23,250 | 0.43x |
| 10 | [Morningside University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/morningside-university) | Sioux City, IA | 52% | $55,494 | $31,320 | $26,028 | 0.47x |
| 11 | [Graceland University-Lamoni](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/graceland-university-lamoni) | Lamoni, IA | 40% | $47,361 | $18,504 | $21,212 | 0.45x |
| 12 | [University of Dubuque](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-dubuque) | Dubuque, IA | 41% | $51,190 | $23,386 | $25,750 | 0.5x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Iowa." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-06-22. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-criminal-justice-iowa

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.