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Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa

2023 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

11 Colleges
$29,591 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$36,503 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Communication & Journalism School for You

In 2020-2021, 1,231 degrees and certificates were awarded to communication and journalism students who went to a Iowa college or university. This makes it the #13 most popular major in the state.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 & Journalism Schools in Iowa to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 11 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best value programs for communication and 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. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

Top 10 Best Communication & Journalism Schools

$9,634 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Iowa State University the best value school in Iowa for communication and journalism students. Iowa State is a very large public school located in the small city of Ames.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa State are $9,634 per year. The average amount in student loans that communication and journalism majors at Iowa State take out is $24,186. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $181, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Iowa State not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa list.

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#2

University of Northern Iowa

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNI are $9,053 a year. While working on their degree, communication and journalism majors at UNI accumulate an average of around $22,632 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $188, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

UNI also took the #5 spot in our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa rankings.

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#3

University of Iowa

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Iowa are $9,942 a year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from Iowa carry an average student debtload of $23,920. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $417.

In addition to its great value ranking, Iowa is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa list.

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#4

Drake University

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

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Drake University is a great value for communication and journalism students. Located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines, Drake is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Drake are $45,912 a year. On average, communication and journalism graduates from Drake take out $23,250 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $353, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Drake also took the #3 spot in our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa rankings.

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#5

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, IA
$36,010 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Dubuque. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa list. UD is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Dubuque.

UD undergraduate students pay an average of $36,010 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, communication and journalism graduates from UD carry an average student debtload of $24,444.

Full Communication & Journalism at University of Dubuque Report

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#6

Loras College

Dubuque, IA
$35,268 Average Tuition & Fees

Loras College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the city of Dubuque, Loras is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Loras undergraduate students pay an average of $35,268 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, communication and journalism graduates from Loras take out $25,713 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#7

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA
$33,570 Average Tuition & Fees

Saint Ambrose University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and journalism programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at St. Ambrose University are $33,570 per year.

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#8

Simpson College

Indianola, IA
$44,030 Average Tuition & Fees

Simpson College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the town of Indianola, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Simpson College are $44,030 a year. Communication & Journalism majors at Simpson College take out an average of $23,250 in student loans while working on their egree.

Simpson College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Communication & Journalism Schools in Iowa list.

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#9

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA
$48,822 Average Tuition & Fees

Coe College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for communication and journalism students. It came in at #9 on the list. Coe is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Coe are $48,822 per year. Communication & Journalism majors at Coe take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Communication & Journalism at Coe College Report

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#10

Waldorf University

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

Waldorf University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value communication and journalism programs. Waldorf is a small private for-profit school located in the town of Forest City.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Waldorf are $23,666 per year. Communication & Journalism majors at Waldorf take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Best Value Communication & Journalism Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 1,015
Minnesota 1,434
South Dakota 203
Missouri 1,975
Nebraska 719
North Dakota 171

Communication & Journalism Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Communication & Media Studies 66,787
Public Relations & Advertising 21,099
Radio, Television & Digital Communication 17,669
Journalism 13,552
Communication & Journalism (Other) 1,128
Publishing 336

Related Major Annual Graduates
Education 327,871
Social Sciences 205,984
Psychology 195,678
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 55,820
History 32,731

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 Josh Hallett.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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