2026 Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools in Iowa
[Commercial & Advertising Art](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/commercial-and-advertising-art/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for commercial & advertising art students.
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2026 Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in commercial & advertising art, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Commercial & Advertising Art Schools
Leading the list is Des Moines Area Community College, our #1 best value for commercial & advertising art in Iowa. Set in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,790 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,690 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,625 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Des Moines Area Community College earn a median of $25,265 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Upper Iowa University earned it the #2 place for commercial & advertising art. Upper Iowa University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $19,475. Typical student debt for commercial & advertising art graduates is $39,780. Soon after graduation, commercial & advertising art degree recipients from Upper Iowa University generally make around $31,122. Set against $39,780 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Upper Iowa University admits about 96% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in commercial & advertising art will find it at Drake University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $51,960. Students borrow a median of $22,273 to complete the commercial & advertising art program here. Commercial & Advertising Art graduates of Drake University earn a median of $56,228 early in their careers. Set against $22,273 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Drake University admits about 64% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
