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2022 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Iowa (With Aid)

14 Ranked Colleges
855 Degrees Awarded
$20,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Public Administration & Social Service is the 14th most popular major in the country with 97,666 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, public administration and social service graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $39,142 and had an average of $32,304 in loans still to pay off.

Across Iowa, there were 855 public administration and social service graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,059 and $32,142 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in public administration and social service. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great public administration and social service 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 public administration and social service 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The public administration & social service 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 Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa public administration & social service students with aid.

Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Public Administration & Social Service in Iowa (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Des Moines Area Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Des Moines Area Community College is a large public school situated in Ankeny, Iowa. It awarded 44 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

DMACC also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Des Moines Area Community College is $10,076 for iowa public administration & social service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at DMACC

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

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 Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 123 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa public administration & social service students with aid list, UNI has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $15,620 for iowa public administration & social service students with aid.

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 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%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Northern Iowa

#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 164 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $19,145 for iowa public administration & social service students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at University of Iowa

#4

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Loras College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 19 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Loras also took the #1 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loras College is $20,676 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Loras

#5

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Briar Cliff University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Briar Cliff University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux City, Iowa. It awarded 42 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa public administration & social service students with aid list, Briar Cliff has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $20,604 for iowa public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Briar Cliff University.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Briar Cliff University

#6

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, Iowa

Buena Vista University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. BVU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Storm Lake, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BVU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $17,544 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students with aid per year to attend Buena Vista University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Buena Vista University

#7

Grand View University

Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 47 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our iowa public administration & social service students with aid list, Grand View University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand View University is $19,826 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Grand View University

#8

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

Luther College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Luther is a small school located in Decorah, Iowa that handed out 12 ’s public administration and social service degrees in 2019-2020.

Luther did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Luther College is $23,620 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

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 full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Luther

#9

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa

Wartburg College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid list. Wartburg College is located in Waverly, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our iowa public administration & social service students with aid list, Wartburg has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $21,787 for iowa public administration & social service students with aid 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 Public Administration & Social Service at Wartburg College

#10

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mount Mercy University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified ’s public administration and social service students in 2019-2020.

Mount Mercy also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Mount Mercy is $20,857 for iowa public administration & social service students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 more about Public Administration & Social Service at Mount Mercy University

#11

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

Upper Iowa University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. UIU is located in Fayette, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 128 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

UIU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. It costs about $21,624 for iowa public administration & social service students with aid per year to attend Upper Iowa University.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Upper Iowa University

#12

Dordt University

Sioux Center, Iowa

Dordt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Dordt University is located in Sioux Center, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

Dordt also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Dordt University is $25,102 for iowa public administration & social service students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Dordt University

#13

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

Saint Ambrose University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking. St. Ambrose University is located in Davenport, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 ’s public administration and social service degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Ambrose University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Ambrose University is $26,204 for Iowa Public Administration & Social Service students with aid.

Read full report on Public Administration & Social Service at Saint Ambrose University

#14

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa

Drake University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s public administration and social service degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

Drake also made our “Best Public Administration & Social Service Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Drake is $29,432 for iowa public administration & social service students with aid.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read more about Public Administration & Social Service at Drake

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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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