Public schools in Iowa

The NCES directory lists 1,318 public schools operating in Iowa in 2024-25; 1,290 of them reported 491,050 students, averaging 14.1 students per teacher, tied for 22nd with Maryland of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Des Moines Independent Comm School District, with 29,676 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools1,290655 elementary, 243 middle, 349 high, 43 other
Students491,0501.0% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher14.1U.S. 15.3

Iowa has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

Iowa ranks 22nd of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. Texas14.5
  2. Minnesota14.2
  3. Wisconsin14.2
  4. Iowa14.1
  5. Maryland14.1
  6. Mississippi14.0
  7. Georgia13.9

Eight in ten larger Iowa districts spent between $11,388 and $13,996 per student

Among the 125 Iowa districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $11,388 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $13,996; the median was $12,583. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, Iowa districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23125 values from $9,683 to $17,121; ; state median $12,583.$11,388$13,996the middle eight in ten1 more above $16,000 →← 1 below $8,000$8k$10k$12k$14k$16kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,583
Current spending per student, Iowa districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23125 values from $9,683 to $17,121; ; state median $12,583.$11,388$13,996the middle eight in ten1 more above $16,000 →← 1 below $8,000$8k$10k$12k$14k$16kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,583
Current spending per student, Iowa districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23125 values from $9,683 to $17,121; ; state median $12,583.$11,388$13,996the middle eight in ten1 more above $16,000 →← 1 below $8,000$8k$10k$12k$14k$16kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,583
Current spending per student, Iowa districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23125 values from $9,683 to $17,121; ; state median $12,583.$11,388$13,996the middle eight in ten1 more above $16,000 →← 1 below $8,000$8k$10k$12k$14k$16kcurrent spending per studentstate median $12,583

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 69.9% of the Iowa students tested met the state's reading standard and 68.1% its math standard. Iowa writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Iowa's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 87.5% of 38,026 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the Iowa almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Lincoln High School, 2,364 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Ruby Van Meter, 5.0 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District, $17,121 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Linn-Mar Community School District, $82,552 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Janesville Elementary School, 0.7% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: St Ansgar High School, 71 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Janesville Consolidated School District, 67 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Iowa

  1. Des Moines Independent Comm School District29,676
  2. Iowa City School District14,960
  3. Cedar Rapids Community Schools14,474
  4. Sioux City Community Schools14,189
  5. Davenport Community School District12,812
  6. Waukee Community School District12,699
  7. Ankeny Comm School District12,301
  8. Waterloo Community Schools10,484

Every Iowa school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Des Moines32,076 students64 schools
  2. Cedar Rapids20,056 students38 schools
  3. Davenport11,821 students23 schools
  4. Sioux City14,189 students21 schools
  5. Dubuque9,773 students18 schools
  6. Iowa City8,645 students17 schools
  7. Council Bluffs11,022 students17 schools
  8. Ankeny12,301 students17 schools
  9. Waterloo9,682 students16 schools
  10. Marion8,666 students15 schools
  11. West Des Moines9,015 students14 schools
  12. Bettendorf8,227 students12 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about Iowa's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Iowa?
    The NCES directory lists 1,318 operating in 2024-25; 1,290 of them reported students: 655 elementary, 243 middle, 349 high and 43 other, enrolling 491,050 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Iowa?
    14.1 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in Iowa?
    Des Moines Independent Comm School District, with 29,676 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Iowa spend per public-school student?
    $13,080 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership and staff files · 2024-25

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .