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Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

12 Colleges
$31,467 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$34,619 Avg Salary

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.

2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Colleges.

Top 10 Best Communication & Media Studies Schools

#1

Drake University

Des Moines, IA
$45,912 Average Tuition & Fees

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.

Drake undergraduate students pay an average of $45,912 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Drake also made our Best Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa list, coming in at #3.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Drake University Report

$9,634 Average Tuition & Fees

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

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Iowa State are $9,634 a 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.

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

Read More…

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA
$9,053 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 12 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the # 3 spot on the list. UNI is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Cedar Falls.

UNI undergraduate students pay an average of $9,053 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.

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.

Full Communication & Media Studies at University of Northern Iowa Report

#4

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA
$9,942 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Iowa is a great value for communication and media studies students. Iowa is a fairly 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 is $23,590. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $438.

In addition to its great value ranking, Iowa is 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

#5

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, IA
$36,010 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Dubuque. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa list. Located in the city of Dubuque, UD is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UD are $36,010 per year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at UD take out is $24,444.

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#6

Loras College

Dubuque, IA
$35,268 Average Tuition & Fees

Loras College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and media studies programs. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Dubuque.

Loras undergraduate students pay an average of $35,268 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that communications majors at Loras take out is $24,426.

Read More…

#7

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA
$33,570 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Saint Ambrose University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Davenport.

St. Ambrose University undergraduate students pay an average of $33,570 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Communication & Media Studies at Saint Ambrose University Report

#8

Luther College

Decorah, IA
$46,760 Average Tuition & Fees

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 school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Luther are $46,760 a year. On average, communications graduates from Luther take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#9

Wartburg College

Waverly, IA
$47,500 Average Tuition & Fees

Wartburg College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Media Studies Schools in Iowa ranking. Wartburg is a small private not-for-profit school located in the 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.

Wartburg 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.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Wartburg College

#10

Waldorf University

Forest City, IA
$23,666 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, Waldorf University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for communication and media studies students. Located in the town of Forest City, Waldorf is a private for-profit college 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 is $27,000.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Waldorf University

Best 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

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 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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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