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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Journalism in Iowa

11 Ranked Colleges
279 Degrees Awarded
$30,800 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 13,552 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 69th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,953 and had an average of $23,734 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 279 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,608 and $24,886 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa” ranking looked at 11 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in journalism. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in journalism.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa journalism students.

Top 11 Most Focused Colleges for Journalism in Iowa

1
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

Out of the 11 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the #1 spot on the list. Drake is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Journalism at Drake

2
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa list. Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 170 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Full University of Iowa Journalism Report

3
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Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Simpson College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Indianola, Iowa. It awarded 3 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Simpson College

4
St. Ambrose University crest
Saint Ambrose University
Davenport, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Ambrose University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa list. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 6 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at St. Ambrose University

5

Out of the 11 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 56 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Journalism at Iowa State

6
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Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

With a ranking of #6, Mount Mercy University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa list. Mount Mercy University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Journalism at Mount Mercy

7
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Dordt University
Sioux Center, Iowa

With a ranking of #7, Dordt University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa list. Dordt is located in Sioux Center, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Journalism at Dordt University

8
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Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, Iowa

Briar Cliff University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #8. Briar Cliff is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 ’s journalism degrees to qualified students.

Full Briar Cliff University Journalism Report

8
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Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

With a ranking of #8, Kirkwood Community College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa list. Kirkwood Community College is a public institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Kirkwood Community College Journalism Report

8

Iowa Central Community College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #8. Fort Dodge, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s journalism degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Journalism at Iowa Central Community College

8
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Loras College
Dubuque, Iowa

Loras College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Journalism Major in Iowa ranking. Loras College is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 0 ’s journalism degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Journalism at Loras College

Notes and References

References

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