2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 68,079 communication and media studies students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, communication and media studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,728 and had an average of $24,931 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 532 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,980 and $27,392 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 39 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $52,298 and $45,299 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 4 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in communication and media studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and media studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa master’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 4 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa

#1

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$22,648 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #1 spot on the list. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNI are $22,648, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at University of Northern Iowa

#2

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

#1 in overall quality

$27,613 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa are $27,613, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Iowa Communication & Media Studies Report

#3

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

#2 in overall quality

$11,932 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$76,460 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Drake University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s communications degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa master’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, Drake has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Drake University are $11,932, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Drake University Communication & Media Studies Report

#4

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa

$13,140 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Master’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Dubuque landed the #4 spot on the list. UD is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 4 masters’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa master’s degree communications students whose families make $30-$48k list, UD has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UD are $13,140.

Full University of Dubuque Communication & Media Studies Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies (Income $30-$48k)

Notes and References

References

• 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 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).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to UNU-WIDER from Helsinki, Finland.

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