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2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Iowa

[Public Administration](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong public administration education at a price that pays off.

College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value public administration schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Public Administration Schools in Iowa

2026 Best Value Public Administration Schools in Iowa

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public administration, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Public Administration Schools

1

Upper Iowa University
Fayette, IA

$19,475 In-State Tuition & Fees

$31,000 Avg Student Debt

$52,766 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Upper Iowa University the best value for a degree in public administration in Iowa. Upper Iowa University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,475. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $31,000. Early-career public administration graduates make about $63,921. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 96%.

2

Drake University
Des Moines, IA

$51,960 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,273 Avg Student Debt

$71,901 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in public administration will find it at Drake University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $51,960. Typical student debt for public administration graduates is $22,273. Early-career public administration graduates make about $67,297. Set against $22,273 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.