College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa

10 Ranked Colleges
841 Degrees Awarded
$21,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 98,583 people earned their degree in public administration & social service, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, public administration & social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $40,520 and had an average of $27,642 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 841 public administration & social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,238 and $34,937 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking analyzed 10 colleges that offered a degree in public administration & social service. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration & social service programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the public administration & social service program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Public Administration & Social Service Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Public Administration & Social Service Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa public administration & social service students.

Top 10 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Iowa

1

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Des Moines Area Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. DMACC is a public institution located in Ankeny, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our iowa public administration & social service students list, DMACC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DMACC is $9,557 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Des Moines Area Community College

2
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 133 degrees to qualified ’s public administration & social service students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $16,438 for iowa public administration & social service students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at UNI

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 174 ’s public administration & social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $19,401 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Iowa

4
Drake crest
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Drake University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa list. Drake is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s public administration & social service degrees to qualified students.

Drake did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Drake is $29,903 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Drake

5
St. Ambrose University crest
Saint Ambrose University
Davenport, Iowa

Out of the 10 schools in the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Ambrose University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Davenport, Iowa, and it awarded 72 ’s public administration & social service degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Ambrose University also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $26,292 for iowa public administration & social service students per year to attend St. Ambrose University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Ambrose University Public Administration & Social Service Report

6
Clarke crest
Clarke University
Dubuque, Iowa

Clarke University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa list. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s public administration & social service students in 2020-2021.

Clarke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Clarke is $24,860 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Clarke University

7
UIU crest
Upper Iowa University
Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa ranking. UIU is located in Fayette, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 133 ’s public administration & social service degrees to qualified students.

UIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Upper Iowa University is $24,063 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students.

Full Upper Iowa University Public Administration & Social Service Report

8
Grand View University crest
Grand View University
Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa ranking. Grand View University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Grand View University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $20,469 for iowa public administration & social service students per year to attend Grand View University.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Grand View University

9
Briar Cliff crest
Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, Iowa

Briar Cliff University landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 29 ’s public administration & social service degrees in 2020-2021.

Briar Cliff not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Briar Cliff University is $22,212 for iowa public administration & social service students.

Full Briar Cliff Public Administration & Social Service Report

10
Mount Mercy crest
Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mount Mercy University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa ranking. Mount Mercy is a small school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 21 ’s public administration & social service degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our iowa public administration & social service students list, Mount Mercy has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Mercy is $22,668 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Mount Mercy University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options