2027 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Iowa
[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong public administration education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for public administration students.
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2027 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Administration Schools
Leading the list is Upper Iowa University, our #1 best value for public administration in Iowa. Upper Iowa University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,475. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $31,000. Public Administration graduates of Upper Iowa University earn a median of $63,921 early in their careers. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Upper Iowa University admits about 96% of applicants.
University Of Iowa is a great value for students pursuing a degree in public administration, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. Students from in state pay about $11,283 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $24,463. Public Administration graduates of University Of Iowa earn a median of $57,375 early in their careers. Set against $24,463 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Drake University one of the best values for public administration. Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $51,960. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $22,273. Public Administration graduates of Drake University earn a median of $67,297 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,273 median debt. Drake University admits about 64% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
