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2022 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Iowa (With Aid)

14 Ranked Colleges
532 Degrees Awarded
$20,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 68,079 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, communication and media studies is the 9th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 532 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,980 and $27,392 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in communication and media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and media studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa communications students with aid.

Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Iowa (With Aid)

#1

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 211 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $19,145 for iowa communications students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 78 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa communications students with aid list, Iowa State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $15,496 for iowa communications students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Iowa State Communication & Media Studies Report

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 66 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $15,620 for iowa communications students with aid per year to attend UNI.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Northern Iowa

#4

Central College

Pella, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. Located in Pella, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Central is $23,269 for iowa communications students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Central Communication & Media Studies Report

#5

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loras College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Loras College is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 14 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa communications students with aid list, Loras has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loras is $20,676 for Iowa Communications students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Loras College Communication & Media Studies Report

#13 in overall quality

Maharishi International University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fairfield, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

MIU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Maharishi International University is $12,441 for Iowa Communications students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Maharishi International University

Graceland University - Lamoni came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Graceland University - Lamoni is located in Lamoni, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s communications degrees to qualified students.

Graceland Lamoni did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Graceland University - Lamoni is $17,650 for iowa communications students with aid.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Graceland University - Lamoni

#8

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Decorah, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Luther did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Luther College is $23,620 for Iowa Communications students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Luther College

#9

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Coe is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Coe also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Coe College is $19,955 for Iowa Communications students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Coe

#10

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa

With a ranking of #10, Wartburg College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Wartburg is a small school located in Waverly, Iowa that handed out 13 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Wartburg also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $21,787 for iowa communications students with aid per year to attend Wartburg.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Wartburg College

#11

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Drake, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drake University is $29,432 for Iowa Communications students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Drake Communication & Media Studies Report

#12

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

Saint Ambrose University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Davenport, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s communications students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa communications students with aid list, St. Ambrose University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Ambrose University is $26,204 for Iowa Communications students with aid.

Full Saint Ambrose University Communication & Media Studies Report

#13

Waldorf University

Forest City, Iowa

Waldorf University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Forest City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s communications degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Waldorf, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $20,036 for iowa communications students with aid per year to attend Waldorf.

Full Waldorf University Communication & Media Studies Report

#14

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa

University of Dubuque did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 27 ’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UD, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dubuque is $26,748 for Iowa Communications students with aid.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Dubuque

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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