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Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa

2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

11 Colleges
$30,023 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$32,706 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You

Communication & Media Studies is the #19 most popular major in Iowa with 552 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

The Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 11 schools in Iowa to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for communications students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools

#1

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

Our 2023 rankings named University of Northern Iowa the best value school in Iowa for communication and media studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UNI is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Cedar Falls.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNI are $9,053 a year. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $187.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UNI is ranked #5 for overall quality for communications in Iowa.

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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Iowa State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value communication and media studies schools in Iowa. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Iowa State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,634 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Iowa State take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $21,873. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $145.

Iowa State did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list.

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#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

Out of the 11 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the # 3 spot on the list. Iowa is a very large public school located in the small city of Iowa City.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Iowa are $9,942 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Iowa take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $21,911. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $438.

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#4

Loras College

Dubuque, IA

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Loras College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value communication and media studies schools in Iowa. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dubuque.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Loras are $35,268 per year.

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#5

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Saint Ambrose University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value communication and media studies schools in Iowa. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Davenport.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at St. Ambrose University are $33,570 a year.

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#6

Luther College

Decorah, IA

Luther College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree communication and media studies programs. Located in the remote town of Decorah, Luther is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Luther are $46,760 a year.

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#7

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, IA

University of Dubuque ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Dubuque, UD is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

UD undergraduate students pay an average of $36,010 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#8

Wartburg College

Waverly, IA

Wartburg College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree communication and media studies programs. Wartburg is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Waverly.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Wartburg are $47,500 a year.

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#9

Waldorf University

Forest City, IA

Waldorf University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. Located in the town of Forest City, Waldorf is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Waldorf are $23,666 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Waldorf take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $27,216.

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#10

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA

Coe College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for communication and media studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Cedar Rapids, Coe is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Coe undergraduate students pay an average of $48,822 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 1,007
Minnesota 887
Kansas 490
Nebraska 156
North Dakota 131
South Dakota 159

Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Journalism 13,552
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 11 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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