Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Communication & Media Studies

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Iowa (With Aid)

13 Ranked Colleges
486 Degrees Awarded
$20,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor's in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 68,079 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, communication and media studies is the 9th most popular major in the United States. 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 486 communication and media studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,922 and $25,876 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered a degree 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the communication and media studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Media Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Media Studies in Iowa (With Aid)

#1

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #1 spot on the list. Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 203 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also took the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,145 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Iowa.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full University of Iowa Communication & Media Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $15,496 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Iowa State University

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $15,620 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at University of Northern Iowa

#4

Central College

Pella, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. Pella, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central College is $23,269 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Central

#5

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Loras College landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Loras also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $20,676 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Loras.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Loras College

Maharishi International University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Fairfield, Iowa, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

MIU also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Maharishi International University is $12,441 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Maharishi International University

Graceland University - Lamoni ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Graceland University - Lamoni is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lamoni, Iowa. It awarded 9 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Graceland Lamoni, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $17,650 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Graceland University - Lamoni.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Graceland University - Lamoni

#8

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Decorah, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, Luther has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $23,620 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid per year to attend Luther.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Luther

#9

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communications degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Coe, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Coe College is $19,955 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at Coe

#10

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa

Wartburg College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Waverly, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

Wartburg also made our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Wartburg College is $21,787 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wartburg Communication & Media Studies Report

#11

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

Saint Ambrose University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid list, St. Ambrose University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $26,204 for iowa bachelor’s degree communications students with aid.

Read full report on Communication & Media Studies at St. Ambrose University

#12

Waldorf University

Forest City, Iowa

Waldorf University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Waldorf is a small school located in Forest City, Iowa that handed out 9 bachelors’s communications degrees in 2019-2020.

Waldorf did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $20,036 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid per year to attend Waldorf University.

Read more about Communication & Media Studies at Waldorf

#13

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa

University of Dubuque came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communications Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communications students in 2019-2020.

UD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Communication & Media Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for UD is $26,748 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communications students with aid.

Full UD Communication & Media Studies Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Find Schools Near You