Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Saint Ambrose University

Based on comparable communication programs across Iowa, Saint Ambrose graduates would enter a reasonably balanced debt situation—an estimated $25,832 against first-year earnings around $42,228. That 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio falls within manageable territory, though it means dedicating roughly seven months of gross income to loan payoff in an aggressive scenario.

What's harder to assess is Saint Ambrose's competitive position. The estimated earnings align with Iowa's state median for these programs, placing it in the middle of the pack behind Drake and Iowa State but ahead of several peer institutions. Yet without Saint Ambrose's actual outcomes data, parents can't know whether this school's alumni network, career services, or local employer relationships deliver results above or below that state average. The 73% admission rate and relatively low Pell population (28%) suggest a traditional private college experience, but the return on that investment remains unclear when neighboring programs report tangible outcomes.

The practical challenge: you're evaluating a $100,000+ investment (estimated total cost) based on borrowed data from other schools. If your student is specifically drawn to Saint Ambrose's campus culture or specific faculty, that might justify the uncertainty. Otherwise, the programs at Iowa State, Northern Iowa, or Drake offer transparent earnings data that lets you assess value with actual numbers rather than estimates derived from peer institutions.