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2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

15 Ranked Colleges
1,113 Degrees Awarded
$16,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 121,387 people earned their degree in communication and journalism, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, communication and journalism graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,549 and had an average of $24,893 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 1,247 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,065 and $24,847 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,113 communication and journalism graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,922 and $25,876 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in communication and journalism. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great communication and 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 communication and journalism program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Communication & Journalism 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $0-$30k) in Iowa

#3 in overall quality

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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 285 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $10,054 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Iowa State University

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 145 students in 2019-2020.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $10,757 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNI.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at UNI

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 349 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $12,975 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Iowa

#4

Central College

Pella, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k. Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pella, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $19,172 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Central College

#5

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Coe College landed the #5 spot on the list. Coe College is a small school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 18 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Coe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Coe College is $14,590 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Coe Communication & Journalism Report

#6

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Loras College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Loras College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 26 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, Loras has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $16,154 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loras College.

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 more about Communication & Journalism at Loras College

#7

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

Wartburg College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wartburg College is located in Waverly, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wartburg, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $16,334 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wartburg College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Wartburg College

#8

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Buena Vista University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Storm Lake, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BVU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Buena Vista University is $14,210 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full BVU Communication & Journalism Report

#14 in overall quality

Maharishi International University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fairfield, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Maharishi International University is $12,278 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Full MIU Communication & Journalism Report

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lamoni, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Graceland Lamoni not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Graceland University - Lamoni is $15,015 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Graceland University - Lamoni

#11

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

Luther College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Luther College is located in Decorah, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

Luther also took the #5 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Luther is $16,636 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Luther College

#12

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa
#1 in overall quality

Drake University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Drake University is located in Des Moines, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 80 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

Drake also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Drake is $25,212 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Drake University Communication & Journalism Report

#13

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#10 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Ambrose University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $23,977 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full St. Ambrose University Communication & Journalism Report

#14

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Dubuque did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Dubuque is located in Dubuque, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k list, UD has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UD is $19,369 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at UD

#15

Waldorf University

Forest City, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

Waldorf University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $0-$30k list. Waldorf University is located in Forest City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

Waldorf did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Waldorf is $19,719 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Communication & Journalism at Waldorf

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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.

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