What's the top private college in Iowa? See what the Wall Street Journal says.

Drake University was ranked as the top private school in Iowa for the second year in a row.

The Iowa private school was also ranked among the top 200 colleges in the country by the Wall Street Journal. Two of Iowa's public universities joined it on the list.

“We are thrilled to be named on The Wall Street Journal's list of top colleges for the second year in a row,” said Drake University President Marty Martin in a news release.

How does Drake University compare to other schools in the Wall Street Journal's ranking?

Compared to all Iowa schools, Drake ranked the highest in the "salary impact score," which compares graduate salaries to the cost of attending. Drake also had the highest ranking for the "value added to the graduate salary score", which looks at the value added to graduates' median salary attributable to attending college, according to a news release from Drake.

“These results only further solidify what we know to be true, and what is demonstrated through our Measure of Success report — that Drake University is a national leader at integrating the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation to ready students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishment, and responsible global citizenship," Martin said in the news release.

How did Drake University compare to other Iowa schools?

Drake ranked the best out of Iowa private schools, placing 154th. Grinnell College, for comparison, placed 284th.

Drake did not score as well as Iowa State University, which had the best score of all Iowa schools, according to the Wall Street Journal. Iowa State was ranked 119th with an overall score of 75. Drake received a score of 71.2.

Drake did beat out the University of Iowa which received 162nd place with a score of 70.6.

What are the best colleges, according to the Wall Street Journal?

The Wall Street Journal's College Pulse ranks the top 500 universities in the country. The ranking is based on how much a school improves students' chances of graduating and their future earnings. It also evaluates student feedback on college life. A college's reputation or finances do not factor into the scoring, according to the Wall Street Journal.

1. Princeton University - private school scoring 92.3
2. Babson College - private school scoring 91.9
3. Stanford University - private school scoring 91.6

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17 .

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What's the top private college in Iowa? See what the Wall Street Journal says.