Marketing at Grand View University

Grand View's marketing program produces respectable outcomes, though graduates earn less than typical Iowa marketing majors. Starting at $45,057, alumni trail the state median by about $2,300 annually and rank in just the 40th percentile among Iowa's 15 marketing programs. For context, comparable Des Moines schools like Drake see graduates earning $52,000+. However, Grand View does beat the national median slightly, and the $27,000 debt load is genuinely modest—ranking in the 5th percentile nationally means 95% of marketing programs saddle students with more debt.

The 20% earnings growth over four years is solid, and the 0.60 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe roughly seven months' salary—manageable for most entry-level marketing positions. Grand View's 98% admission rate and high Pell enrollment (38%) suggest it's serving students who might not access selective universities, making that debt figure particularly important.

The catch: fewer than 30 recent graduates provided data, so these numbers could shift meaningfully with a larger cohort. If your child thrives in smaller environments and needs an accessible entry point into marketing, the low debt makes this worth considering despite the below-average Iowa earnings. Just know they'll likely need to hustle harder for salary growth than peers at Iowa's flagship schools.