32 Best colleges for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in Iowa State

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Iowa State ranked based on their research performance in Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 4.48M citations received by 158K academic papers made by 32 universities in Iowa State was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Iowa

Iowa City

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#44 in the United States

#50 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 88%

2. Iowa State University

Ames

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#54 in the United States

#64 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 89%

3. University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#279 in the United States

#314 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1035
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 83%

4. Drake University

Des Moines

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#455 in the United States

#506 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $30,886

5. Grinnell College

Grinnell

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#489 in the United States

#541 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Average SAT: 1484
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $33,446

6. Luther College

Decorah

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#768 in the United States

#837 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1208
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $24,790

7. Dordt College

Sioux Center

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#815 in the United States

#884 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $27,925

8. Clarke University

Dubuque

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#907 in the United States

#979 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 968
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $25,692

9. Maharishi University of Management

Fairfield

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#937 in the United States

#1009 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Net Price: $18,875
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $9,855

10. Saint Ambrose University

Davenport

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#989 in the United States

#1062 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Net Price: $23,578
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $26,559

11. Morningside College

Sioux

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1068 in the United States

#1145 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average ACT: 17
Net Price: $23,482
Receiving Aid: 100%

12. Wartburg College

Waverly

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1089 in the United States

#1167 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Average SAT: 1107
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $23,321

13. Palmer College of Chiropractic

Davenport

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1111 in the United States

#1189 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Net Price: $23,515
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $8,420

14. Des Moines University - Osteopathic Medical Center

Des Moines

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1131 in the United States

#1209 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 1,521
Male:Female: 46:54
Founded: 1898

15. Coe College

Cedar Rapids

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1175 in the United States

#1253 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1180
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $20,940

16. Graceland University - Lamoni

Lamoni

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1185 in the United States

#1263 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Net Price: $16,632
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $30,218

17. Central College

Pella

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1186 in the United States

#1264 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1070
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $22,499

18. Briar Cliff University

Sioux

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1195 in the United States

#1273 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $23,292
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $26,325

19. Loras College

Dubuque

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1203 in the United States

#1281 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Net Price: $22,338
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $26,030

20. University of Dubuque

Dubuque

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1259 in the United States

#1338 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1055
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $25,216

21. Waldorf University

Forest City

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1262 in the United States

#1341 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Net Price: $21,510
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $16,542

22. Northwestern College

Orange City

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1292 in the United States

#1371 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Net Price: $24,737
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $23,319

23. Simpson College

Indianola

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1317 in the United States

#1397 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $23,637
Receiving Aid: 100%

24. William Penn University

Oskaloosa

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1395 in the United States

#1477 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 965
Average ACT: 19
Net Price: $22,361

25. Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1404 in the United States

#1487 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $23,972
Receiving Aid: 100%

26. Buena Vista University

Storm Lake

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1417 in the United States

#1501 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $18,156
Receiving Aid: 99%

27. Allen College

Waterloo

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1421 in the United States

#1505 in North America

Net Price: $31,509
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $1,625
Enrollment: 489

28. Upper Iowa University

Fayette

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1439 in the United States

#1524 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1065
Average ACT: 18
Net Price: $22,427

29. Grand View University

Des Moines

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1492 in the United States

#1579 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Net Price: $22,296
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $23,959

30. Wartburg Theological Seminary

Dubuque

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1666 in the United States

#1757 in North America

Enrollment: 164
Male:Female: 41:59

31. Divine Word College

Epworth

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1694 in the United States

#1785 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $12,917
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $8,583

32. Iowa Wesleyan University

Mount Pleasant

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1752 in the United States

#1843 in North America

Net Price: $20,074
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $26,670
Enrollment: 704

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Missouri	44	40
Wisconsin	36	14
Illinois	79	12
Minnesota	30	18
Kansas	22	74
Nebraska	15	87
Indiana	38	39
South Dakota	11	330
Michigan	47	4
Arkansas	18	146
Oklahoma	22	104
Kentucky	29	59
North Dakota	9	215
Ohio	67	19
Tennessee	39	46
Mississippi	15	178
West Virginia	21	119
Colorado	24	52
Alabama	29	84
Louisiana	27	79
Pennsylvania	114	8
Virginia	42	37
Georgia	52	42
North Carolina	50	20
Texas	89	21
South Carolina	32	69
District of Columbia	13	50
Maryland	28	10
New Mexico	9	100
Montana	9	166
New York	146	6
Delaware	4	96
New Jersey	29	22
Utah	11	45
Vermont	12	122
Connecticut	22	9
Idaho	7	194
Massachusetts	75	1
New Hampshire	13	82
Rhode Island	9	56
Arizona	10	30
Florida	70	31
Maine	16	200
Nevada	8	152
Washington	39	5
Oregon	21	97
California	146	2
Puerto Rico	15	415
Alaska	4	233
Hawaii	7	107