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Best Value Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

5 Colleges
$28,618 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$31,564 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Journalism Bachelor's Degree School for You

With 279 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, journalism is the #38 most popular major in Iowa.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Journalism Bachelor's Degree Schools in Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 5 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for journalism students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.

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

2023 Best Value Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa

Check out the journalism bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Best Iowa Schools for Affordable Quality for a Bachelor's in Journalism

Our analysis found Iowa State University to be the best value school for journalism students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Iowa. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college 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 journalism majors at Iowa State take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $23,774. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $162, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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 journalism in Iowa.

Read full report on Journalism at Iowa State University

#2

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa 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. On average, journalism graduates from Iowa take out $22,607 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $395.

Full Journalism at University of Iowa Report

#3

Drake University

Des Moines, IA

Out of the 5 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Drake is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines.

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

Drake did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list.

Read full report on Journalism at Drake University

#4

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Saint Ambrose University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa list. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Davenport.

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

Full Journalism at Saint Ambrose University Report

#5

Simpson College

Indianola, IA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Simpson College is a great value for journalism students working on their bachelor’s degree. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Indianola.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Simpson College are $44,030 per year.

Full Journalism at Simpson College Report

Best Value Journalism Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Journalism Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 543
Minnesota 292
Kansas 347
Nebraska 155
North Dakota 10
South Dakota 16

One of 5 majors within the area of study, journalism has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 66,787
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 5 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 Jfurrer.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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