2022 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $75-$110k) 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 Journalism Schools in Iowa For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 14,528 people earned their degree in journalism, making the major the 62nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,042 and had an average of $24,628 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 331 journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,175 and $20,697 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Journalism Schools in Iowa For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great journalism programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Journalism Schools

The journalism school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Journalism Schools in Iowa For Those Making $75-$110k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Journalism Schools in Iowa For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Journalism Schools in Iowa For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $75-$110k) in Iowa

#1

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$17,228 Average Net Price

$46,410 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Journalism Schools in Iowa For Those Making $75-$110k. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 85 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $17,228 for Iowa Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Iowa State Journalism Report

#2

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

#1 in overall quality

$20,738 Average Net Price

$44,594 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in Iowa For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 198 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Journalism Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $20,738 for iowa journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about Journalism at University of Iowa

#3

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

#2 in overall quality

$30,031 Average Net Price

$47,824 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in Iowa For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the #3 spot on the list. Drake University is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 31 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Drake also made our “Best Journalism Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Drake University is $30,031 for Iowa Journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Journalism at Drake

#4

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

#4 in overall quality

$25,654 Average Net Price

$45,438 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Journalism Schools in Iowa For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Ambrose University landed the #4 spot on the list. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 4 ’s journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University also took the #4 spot in our “Best Journalism Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Ambrose University is $25,654 for iowa journalism students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Saint Ambrose University Journalism Report

• Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
• Best Value Colleges for Journalism (Income $75-$110k)

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 Jfurrer.

Featured Communications / Public Relations Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >