Graduate and Undergraduate Business Schools in Iowa
| 1 – Undergraduate |
| 2 – Graduate |
| 3 – Job Outlook |
Iowa has a range of options for getting a business degree at either the undergraduate or graduate level.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), of the 56 public and non-profit schools in the state, 8 have business degree programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), or International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). All of the schools listed below are public or not-for-profit and regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
On this page, you can find all of the information needed to decide on a school-based on various essential criteria, such as tuition costs, financial aid amounts, average entrance exam scores, acceptance rates, and more.
8 Undergraduate Business Schools in Iowa
The NCES reports that 35 public and non-profit schools in the state grant undergraduate degrees in business. Of these, 8 offer undergraduate business programs accredited by the AACSB, ACBSP, or IACBE. The other twenty-seven programs listed by NCES are not business accredited, so we have excluded them from our list.
The average in-state undergraduate program cost for schools on our list before financial aid is $18,862. The most affordable institution in Iowa is The Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny, with fees of approximately $4,410 and an average of over $3,602 offered in financial aid per student. These figures put Des Moines Area Community College well below the average cost of in-state undergraduate business programs.
The Maharishi University of Management has the lowest acceptance rate of the schools on our list, with just 51% accepted applicants. Conversely, Iowa State University has the highest acceptance rate, at 87%. Drake University has the state’s highest six-year graduation rate: 76.8%. The schools with the next highest rates are the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Iowa, and Iowa State University at 65%, 71%, and 74%.
The below table includes accredited undergraduate business schools containing essential data, including in-state tuition costs, aid received per student, acceptance rates, median SAT and ACT scores, and graduation rates. You can click on any column header to sort the table based on its values.
| School | City | Tuition | Aid | Median SAT | Median ACT | Accept. Rate | Grad. Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | $4,410 | $3,602 | ||||
| Drake University | Des Moines | $35,206 | $18,200 | 1050-1340 | 25-30 | 69% | 77% |
| Iowa State University | Ames | $8,219 | $6,663 | 980-1270 | 22-28 | 87% | 74% |
| Maharishi University of Management | Fairfield | $27,530 | $17,121 | 51% | 58% | ||
| Northwestern College | Orange City | $29,500 | $19,371 | 915-1170 | 21-28 | 66% | 64% |
| St. Ambrose University | Davenport | $29,150 | $15,568 | 20-25 | 64% | 63% | |
| University of Iowa | Iowa City | $8,575 | $8,800 | 1020-1320 | 23-28 | 84% | 72% |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | $8,309 | $5,401 | 885-1220 | 20-25 | 83% | 65% |
6 Graduate Business Schools in Iowa
We are using data compiled from the AACSB, ACBSP, and IACBE agencies, 22 accredited and non-profit options for obtaining an MBA or equivalent in Iowa. We have average admission GMAT scores for 4 of the five schools clustered pretty tightly, ranging from 518 at Drake University to 610 at Iowa State University. Schools have a percentage of full-time faculty with doctorate degrees ranging from 21.7% to 86.4%.
If you want to continue working while adding some education to enhance your career, there are several online MBA programs in Iowa available. One of these is East Carolina University, an online MBA program since 2004 and has very reasonable acceptance requirements. On the higher end, the Maharishi University of Management has a well-regarded online MBA, with several available concentrations for study, quarterly program start times, and impressive success rates for students.
Popular graduate programs in Iowa: Online MBA in Project Management | Online MBA in Sports Management | Online MBA in Supply Chain Management
The table below shows graduate business school tuition costs, average accepted applicant GMAT scores, the percentage of faculty with a doctorate, average undergraduate GPA figures of accepted students, and student-to-faculty ratios. Click any column header to sort the table based on its contents.
| School | City | Tuition | Avg. GMAT | Faculty with Doct. Degree | Student/ Faculty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake University | Des Moines | $25,082 | 518 | 77.6% | 2.46 |
| Iowa State University | Ames | $21,904 | 610 | 86.4% | 1.87 |
| Maharishi University of Management | Fairfield | $31,750 | |||
| University of Iowa | Iowa City | $45,162 | 587 | 21.7% | 1.48 |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | $22,270 | 563 | 84.2% | 0.33 |
| St. Ambrose University | Davenport | $32,616 |
Job Outlook for Business School Graduates in Iowa
Roughly 111,000 people were employed in the business and management sector in Iowa in 2016. The largest subgroup was general and operations managers at 24,290, more than double the next-largest group’s size, accountants and auditors at 9,930. Third place went to business operations specialists at 9,860; all other groups employed fewer than 9,000 people.
Other popular articles: Accounting Schools in Iowa | Online MBA Programs in Iowa
According to BLS data, the overall average annual wage in 2016 across all Iowa occupations was $81,978. Architectural and Engineering Managers had a weighted yearly average wage of around $125,000 in the same year. Chief executives led the way at $179,530 per year, with most management positions between $87,270 and $106,200.
| Occupation Title | BLS.gov Code | 2016 Total Employment Iowa | Mean Hourly Wage Iowa | Mean Annual Wage Iowa | National Growth 2016-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants and Auditors | 13-2011 | 9,930 | $32 | $66,500 | 10.0% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 11-3011 | 2,100 | $43 | $88,610 | 10.1% |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | 11-2011 | 200 | $46 | $95,370 | 5.8% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 11-9041 | 1,670 | $60 | $125,690 | 5.5% |
| Budget Analysts | 13-2031 | 270 | $34 | $71,280 | 6.5% |
| Business Operations Specialists | 13-1199 | 9,860 | $30 | $63,310 | 8.8% |
| Chief Executives | 11-1011 | 1,710 | $86 | $179,530 | 8.0% |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 11-3111 | 120 | $51 | $106,200 | 5.0% |
| Compensation, and Benefits Specialists | 13-1141 | 530 | $32 | $65,510 | 8.5% |
| Compliance Officers | 13-1041 | 2,100 | $30 | $62,850 | 8.2% |
| Construction Managers | 11-9021 | 3,030 | $41 | $84,310 | 11.4% |
| Cost Estimators | 13-1051 | 1,930 | $31 | $63,890 | 10.6% |
| Credit Analysts | 13-2041 | 1,060 | $34 | $70,530 | 8.4% |
| Credit Counselors | 13-2071 | 710 | $19 | $40,280 | 13.9% |
| Financial Analysts | 13-2051 | 1,930 | $38 | $78,450 | 10.8% |
| Financial Examiners | 13-2061 | 810 | $38 | $79,750 | 9.8% |
| Financial Managers | 11-3031 | 8,780 | $54 | $113,030 | 0.187 |
| General and Operations Managers | 11-1021 | 24,390 | $47 | $96,780 | 9.1% |
| Human Resources Managers | 11-3121 | 1,570 | $50 | $102,990 | 8.9% |
| Human Resources Specialists | 13-1071 | 4800 | $27 | $56,010 | 7.1% |
| Information Systems Managers | 11-3021 | 3,690 | $59 | $122,260 | 11.9% |
| Insurance Underwriters | 13-2053 | 1,810 | $32 | $67,290 | -5.2% |
| Labor Relations Specialists | 13-1075 | 810 | $30 | $63,210 | -7.8% |
| Loan Officers | 13-2072 | 4,450 | $33 | $69,130 | 11.5% |
| Logisticians | 13-1081 | 1,450 | $28 | $59,050 | 6.9% |
| Management Analysts | 13-1111 | 4,930 | $37 | $77,210 | 12.0% |
| Market Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 13-1161 | 4,550 | $28 | $58,640 | 22.8% |
| Marketing Managers | 11-2021 | 2,250 | $52 | $107,830 | 10.0% |
| Meeting and Event Planners | 13-1121 | 830 | $21 | $43,790 | 10.2% |
| Public Relations and Fundraising Managers | 11-2031 | 990 | $50 | $103,530 | 10.4% |
| Purchasing Managers | 11-3061 | 630 | $47 | $97,480 | 5.6% |
| Sales Managers | 11-2022 | 3,150 | $57 | $118,080 | 7.4% |
| Tax Examiners and Revenue Agents | 13-2081 | 200 | $32 | $67,540 | -0.6% |
| Tax Preparers | 13-2082 | 570 | $21 | $43,780 | 10.8% |
| Training and Development Managers | 11-3131 | 420 | $42 | $87,270 | 10.3% |
| Training and Development Specialists | 13-1151 | 2,790 | $26 | $54,560 | 11.5% |
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References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics:https://nces.ed.gov/
2. AACSB, Best Business Schools:https://bestbizschools.aacsb.edu/aacsb-accredited
3. ACBSP, Business Schools:https://acbsp.org/page/accreditation-overview
4. IACBE, Business Schools:https://iacbe.org/accreditation/
5. US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Outlook Handbook, Business and Financial Occupations: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/home.htm
6. US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Employment and Wage Estimates Iowa: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ia.htm
7. US News & World Report, Best Business Schools: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools