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Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

12 Colleges
$32,043 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$34,238 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Public Administration & Social Service School for You

In 2020-2021, 832 degrees and certificates were awarded to public administration and social service students who went to a Iowa college or university. This makes it the #15 most popular major in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 12 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best value programs for public administration and social service students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

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. 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.

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

2023 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges.

Top 10 Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools

$5,220 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Des Moines Area Community College the best value school in Iowa for public administration and social service students. Located in the suburb of Ankeny, DMACC is a public college with a very large student population.

DMACC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,220 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at DMACC take out an average of $26,230 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Des Moines Area Community College

#2

University of Northern Iowa

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

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Northern Iowa is a great value for public administration and social service students. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNI are $9,053 per year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from UNI take out $24,611 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $147.

UNI also made our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa list, coming in at #5.

Read More…

#3

Drake University

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Drake University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa list. Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Drake is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Drake are $45,912 per year.

Drake did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa list.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Drake University Report

#4

University of Iowa

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa list. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa are $9,942 per year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Iowa take out is $26,000.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa also is in the top 20% of our Best Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa ranking.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at University of Iowa Report

#5

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA
$33,570 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Ambrose University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa list. Located in the midsize city of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Saint Ambrose University Report

#6

Loras College

Dubuque, IA
$35,268 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Loras College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for public administration and social service students. Located in the small city of Dubuque, Loras is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Loras undergraduate students pay an average of $35,268 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, public administration and social service graduates from Loras carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Read More…

#7

Clarke University

Dubuque, IA
$36,870 Average Tuition & Fees

Clarke University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa list. Located in the city of Dubuque, Clarke is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Clarke are $36,870 per year.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Clarke University Report

#8

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA
$33,609 Average Tuition & Fees

Upper Iowa University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the rural area of Fayette, UIU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIU are $33,609 a year. On average, public administration and social service graduates from UIU take out $36,931 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#9

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA
$36,540 Average Tuition & Fees

Mount Mercy University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa list. Located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids, Mount Mercy is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Mount Mercy undergraduate students pay an average of $36,540 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Public Administration & Social Service majors at Mount Mercy take out an average of $26,234 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Public Administration & Social Service at Mount Mercy University Report

#10

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA
$30,954 Average Tuition & Fees

Grand View University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Public & Social Service Schools in Iowa list. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Grand View University are $30,954 per year. The average amount in student loans that public administration and social service majors at Grand View University take out is $27,440.

Read More…

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 791
Minnesota 3,576
South Dakota 143
Missouri 1,624
Nebraska 490
North Dakota 321

Public Administration & Social Service Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 58,326
Public Administration 16,905
Human Services 13,238
Public Policy 6,430
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

Related Major Annual Graduates
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting 142,610
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies 73,813
Legal Professions 61,055
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 4,477

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 University of the Fraser Valley.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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