Best Journalism Schools Near West Des Moines, IA (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

West Des Moines, Iowa has 6 accredited schools offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $5,496 to $52,130 per year for indexed programs. West Des Moines has a population of about 69,893. Median household income is $84,925 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $70,660 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Journalism Schools to West Des Moines

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near West Des Moines, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from West Des Moines city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from West Des Moines. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Drake University

Des Moines, IA 7.4 miles from West Des Moines
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,901
Avg net price $29,127/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Des Moines Area Community College

Ankeny, IA 13.8 miles from West Des Moines
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
50.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,018
Avg net price $11,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Simpson College

Indianola, IA 17.0 miles from West Des Moines
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
64.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 86%
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,274
Avg net price $21,936/yr
Tuition
In‑state$47,656
Out‑of‑state$47,656
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 33.6 miles from West Des Moines
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
76.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 113.9 miles from West Des Moines
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,787
Avg net price $20,168/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 115.9 miles from West Des Moines
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Iowa Lakes Community College

Estherville, IA 138.6 miles from West Des Moines
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,108
Avg net price $13,933/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Western Iowa Tech Community College

Sioux City, IA 146.4 miles from West Des Moines
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
57.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,473
Avg net price $8,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa journalism page.

Journalism Wages Near West Des Moines

West Des Moines is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$54,230Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$59,138
Editor$63,720Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$69,487
Public Relations Specialist$70,660Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$77,056

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

West Des Moines at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population69,893Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,925Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+54.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other West Des Moines-Area Cities With Journalism Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near West Des Moines, IA?

Our directory has 6 accredited schools offering journalism programs near West Des Moines. The closest is Drake University in Des Moines, IA (7.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Iowa Central Community College (68.3 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near West Des Moines?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near West Des Moines are: Public Relations Specialist ($70,660), Editor ($63,720), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($54,230). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Urbandale instead of West Des Moines?

Urbandale, IA is 6.0 miles from West Des Moines and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is West Des Moines an affordable place to study journalism?

West Des Moines’s median household income of $84,925 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in West Des Moines while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Journalism Programs

Other Programs Available in West Des Moines

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for West Des Moines:

Data verified: August 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Journalism Schools in Iowa: Online Programs (2026)