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

15 Ranked Colleges
1,113 Degrees Awarded
$17,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor's in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Communication & Journalism is the 11th most popular major in the country with 121,387 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in communication and journalism. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality communication and journalism programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Communication & Journalism (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 285 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $10,843 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 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 $30-$48k. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 145 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $12,495 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 86%.

Read more about 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 $30-$48k list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 349 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $15,073 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of Iowa

#4

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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Coe College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s communication and journalism students in 2019-2020.

Coe also took the #9 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Coe is $15,918 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Coe

#5

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wartburg College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k. Waverly, 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 13 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wartburg has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wartburg College is $19,037 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#6

Central College

Pella, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Central College is a small school located in Pella, Iowa that handed out 7 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Central also took the #7 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $19,207 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central College.

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 & Journalism at Central

#14 in overall quality

Maharishi International University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Maharishi International University is a small school located in Fairfield, Iowa that handed out 3 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

MIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list.

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 & Journalism at Maharishi International University

#8

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

Loras College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Loras is located in Dubuque, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

Loras also took the #6 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loras is $17,094 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#9

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Buena Vista University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. BVU is located in Storm Lake, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BVU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend BVU is $12,773 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Communication & Journalism at BVU

#10

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

Luther College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Decorah, Iowa, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

Luther not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Luther is $17,630 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Luther College Communication & Journalism Report

#11 in overall quality

Graceland University - Lamoni did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Graceland Lamoni is a small school located in Lamoni, Iowa that handed out 9 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Graceland Lamoni, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $17,337 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Graceland Lamoni.

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

#12

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa
#1 in overall quality

Drake University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Des Moines, 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 80 students in 2019-2020.

Drake also took the #1 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Drake is $24,060 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Drake University Communication & Journalism Report

#13

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa
#10 in overall quality

Saint Ambrose University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Davenport, Iowa, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Ambrose University, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Ambrose University is $24,516 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Communication & Journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Communication & Journalism at Saint Ambrose University

#14

Waldorf University

Forest City, Iowa
#15 in overall quality

Waldorf University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Forest City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Waldorf also made our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Waldorf is $16,991 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Waldorf Communication & Journalism Report

#15

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

University of Dubuque came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Communication & Journalism Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Dubuque is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 23 bachelors’s communication and journalism degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UD, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Communication & Journalism Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dubuque is $21,715 for iowa bachelor’s degree communication & journalism students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Dubuque Communication & Journalism Report

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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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