2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Communication & Media Studies 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 12 schools in Iowa to see which 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 Schools
Our analysis found Drake University to be the best value school for communication and media studies students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Des Moines.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Drake are $45,912 a year.
Drake also made our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa list, coming in at #3.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a very 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 is $23,125. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $145.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Iowa State is ranked #4 for overall quality for communications in Iowa.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Iowa State University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa list. 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. Communications majors at UNI take out an average of $20,250 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $187.
UNI also made our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa list, coming in at #5.
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The excellent programs at University of Iowa helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Iowa. Iowa is a very large public school located in the small city of Iowa City.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa are $9,942 per year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Iowa take out is $23,590. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $438.
Iowa excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa list.
Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Iowa Report
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The excellent programs at University of Dubuque helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best communication and media studies schools in Iowa. Located in the small city of Dubuque, UD is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UD are $36,010 a year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UD take out is $24,444.
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With a ranking of #6, Loras College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. 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. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Loras take out is $24,426.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Loras College Report
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Saint Ambrose University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Davenport.
St. Ambrose University undergraduate students pay an average of $33,570 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Saint Ambrose University
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Luther College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the remote town of Decorah, Luther is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Luther are $46,760 per year. On average, communications graduates from Luther take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Luther College Report
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Wartburg College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa list. Wartburg is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Waverly.
Wartburg undergraduate students pay an average of $47,500 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communications graduates from Wartburg carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Wartburg also is in the top 20% of our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa ranking.
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Waldorf University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Located in the remote town of Forest City, Waldorf is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Waldorf undergraduate students pay an average of $23,666 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Waldorf take out is $27,000.
Full Communication & Media Studies at Waldorf University Report
Request InformationBest Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region
Explore all the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges 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 |
More Communication & Media Studies Rankings in Iowa
Communication & Media Studies Related Majors for Communications
Communication & Media Studies is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Communications
| 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 12 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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