Best Colleges for Computer Science in Iowa
The best colleges for computer science in Iowa are headlined by two universities that stand head and shoulders above the rest, including the state’s only computer science program accredited by ABET.
Computer science prepares you for a job as a software developer—named the best job in America by U.S. News and World Report. Software developers code the systems, programs and apps that we couldn’t live without, and they get paid well to do so. The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports a median annual salary of $105,590, and these jobs aren’t going away. The OOH predicts 21% job growth over the next ten years.
In this article, we’ll list several respected colleges and universities that offer computer science programs in Iowa, along with our top two. You can also check out College Guidepost’s rankings for the best value colleges in computer science, as well as the best overall.
Let’s start with our honorable mentions.
Honorable Mention: Respected private colleges with computer science degrees include Buena Vista University, Drake University, and Grand View University. Briar Cliff, Loras College and Saint Ambrose are respected Catholic universities with a computer science major. Liberal arts colleges offering computer science include Cornell College, Grinnell College, and Luther College, while the University of Northern Iowa rounds out the list as a public university offering computer science. Finally, Northwestern College (Christian) offers a computer science program and is ranked 6th by U.S. News in the Regional Colleges Midwest category. Despite their accolades, none of these institutions made our top three.
3. Dordt University
Dordt University, a Christian university located in Sioux Center, has won national recognition from Forbes, Princeton Review, Money Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal, which ranked Dordt 1st nationally for student engagement.
Dordt’s student outcomes are particularly impressive, with 99% of graduates employed or enrolled in graduate studies within six months. 90% of those found work in their field of study.
The computer science faculty at Dordt have impressive professional credentials, though the tuition of over $32,000 annually might stand in your way. Still, Dordt is the best Christian university for computer science majors in Iowa.
2. University of Iowa
Other than the 1st place entrant, the University of Iowa is the only institution ranked in graduate computer science programs by U.S. News, and it places an impressive 64th in the nation.
Iowa offers undergraduate degrees in both informatics and computer science, and charges under $10,000 a year for in-state tuition. It’s lack of ABET accreditation in computer science puts it clearly below our top choice, but the University of Iowa remains a great choice for computer science majors.
1. Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology was one of only two universities ranked in computer science by U.S. News, and they came in at 61st nationally. Over 600 undergraduates choose to study computer science at Iowa State, and it’s the only ABET-accredited program in the state.
Quite simply, no institution in Iowa can beat Iowa State when it comes to computer science, and the in-state tuition of under $9,000 makes the choice clear. Iowa State is the best college for computer science in Iowa, and also the best value.
Thanks for reading! If you’d like to see the best colleges for computer science in another state, you can find the index here.