Iowa Education Ranking: A Comprehensive Overview
Iowa's educational landscape presents a mixed bag of successes and challenges. While the state boasts commendable achievements in certain areas, particularly in reading, there are concerning trends in mathematics and significant achievement gaps among specific student groups. This article delves into various aspects of Iowa's education system, drawing from recent data and reports to provide a comprehensive overview of its strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Results
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called "The Nation's Report Card," serves as a crucial benchmark for evaluating student achievement across the United States. This congressionally mandated assessment, administered every two years to students in grades 4 and 8, measures performance in reading and mathematics. As the only nationally representative assessment, NAEP allows for comparisons of student achievement across all 50 states using a rigorous sampling methodology.
Recent NAEP data reveals both encouraging and concerning trends in Iowa's educational performance. On one hand, Iowa ranks 10th in the nation in 8th grade reading, a testament to the state's investment in evidence-based reading instruction. The Iowa Department of Education highlighted these gains, attributing them to the hard work of students, families, and educators, as well as the state's commitment to the “Science of Reading.”
However, the latest NAEP results also underscore the need for improvement in mathematics education. Mathematics scores for both fourth and eighth graders decreased, leading to significant drops in Iowa's national rankings, landing at 30th and 23rd, respectively. The Iowa Department of Education acknowledged the concerning mathematics rankings, emphasizing the critical need to support evidence-based mathematics instruction statewide.
A contributing factor to the decline in math rankings is that other states rebounded from lower scores in 2022, while Iowa maintained consistent access to in-person instruction throughout the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years.
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Achievement Gaps
Iowa's NAEP data also highlights significant achievement gaps between overall student results and those of certain student groups, particularly students with disabilities and English learners.
Rankings comparing the achievement of Iowa's students with disabilities to students with disabilities across the nation reveal some of the largest achievement gaps nationwide. For instance, while Iowa ranked 10th in eighth grade reading overall, it ranked 41st in the achievement of students with disabilities.
Similarly, rankings comparing the achievement of English learners in Iowa to their counterparts across the nation demonstrate significant disparities. These achievement gaps underscore the need for targeted interventions and support systems to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed. The Iowa Department of Education has expressed its commitment to investing in instruction and interventions that empower all students, including those with disabilities and English learners, to meet high expectations and realize their potential.
Impact of the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on education systems across the nation, and Iowa is no exception. National average scores for public school students across all tested grades and content areas show that the nation as a whole has not returned to pre-pandemic achievement levels. Nationally, mathematics scores fell significantly, and reading scores also declined.
Students in Iowa remain almost half a grade level behind 2019 levels on average in math and close to 40% of a grade level behind in reading. Reading and math are both concerns in Iowa, as a significant percentage of students are in districts whose average math and reading achievement in 2024 remained below their own 2019 levels, reflecting a national trend.
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Chronic absenteeism has also risen sharply in Iowa, from 13% of students in 2019 to 26% in 2022, significantly slowing recovery efforts in some districts. The federal pandemic relief dollars may be gone, but the pandemic’s impact lingers in many Iowa schools.
Iowa State University and Return on Investment
Beyond primary and secondary education, Iowa's higher education institutions also play a crucial role in the state's overall educational landscape. Iowa State University (ISU) and Iowa's other public institutions have been recognized for their high student return on investment.
Iowa State University and Iowa’s other public institutions rank No. 3 among all 50 state public university systems nationwide for highest student return on investment. The report specifically made note of Iowa State University for programs that included mechanical engineering (median lifetime ROI of $925,000), general business, agricultural business, computer engineering, finance, marketing and electrical engineering. The ranking compared tuition and other financial factors to the increase in lifetime income that graduates earn from their degrees.
Iowa State is ranked No. Seventy percent of the rankings are based on student outcomes, which measure the higher salaries of ISU graduates and university efforts to ensure graduation. The new ranking places Iowa State No. 4 among its national peers (as defined by the Iowa Board of Regents) and No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference.
Iowa State University received 4.5 stars in the 5-star ranking system in Money’s Best Colleges 2024. Also, Iowa State was in the top 10% for affordability in Money’s 2024-2025 rating system. Career outcomes was a key factor for Iowa State making Princeton Review’s list of 2024 Best Value Colleges. Iowa State also ranks No. 12 on the review’s list of Top 20 Best Schools for Financial Aid - Public Schools.
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Iowa State University graduates, on average, earn $81,082 10 years after earning their degrees, according to Iowa Board of Regents wages and outcome data. In a 2022 study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, graduates of Iowa State University earned $155,000 annually a decade after earning their degrees. The earnings-price return for ISU alums was 270%.
These rankings and studies highlight the value of an Iowa State University education and its positive impact on graduates' future earnings.
State Rankings and Comparisons
While NAEP provides a national perspective on Iowa's educational performance, other rankings offer additional insights into the state's standing compared to other states. WalletHub ranked each state’s public schools for “Quality” and “Safety” using 33 relevant metrics. Metrics included high school graduation rate among low-income students, math and reading scores, median SAT and ACT scores, pupil-teach ratio, the share of armed students, the number of school shootings between 2000 and June 2020, bullying incidence rate, and more.
The report gave Iowa an overall rank of 13th out of the 50 states in education. However, Iowa has fallen from its highs of previous years, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count project. Iowa, which has ranked first in on-time high school graduation rate since the 2010-11 school year, fell to No.
It's important to note that different ranking systems use different methodologies and metrics, so it's essential to consider a variety of sources to get a comprehensive picture of a state's educational performance.
Addressing Challenges and Moving Forward
Iowa's education system faces several challenges, including declining mathematics scores, significant achievement gaps, and the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To address these challenges and ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed, the state needs to focus on several key areas:
- Investing in evidence-based instruction: The success in 8th grade reading demonstrates the effectiveness of evidence-based practices. The state should prioritize investments in similar approaches for mathematics and other subjects.
- Targeting interventions for struggling students: Addressing achievement gaps requires targeted interventions and support systems for students with disabilities, English learners, and other at-risk groups.
- Supporting teachers and schools: Providing teachers with the resources, training, and support they need is crucial for improving student outcomes.
- Addressing chronic absenteeism: Chronic absenteeism is a significant barrier to student success. The state needs to implement strategies to address this issue and ensure that students are attending school regularly.
- Monitoring and evaluating progress: Regularly monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of educational programs and policies is essential for making data-driven decisions and ensuring that resources are being used effectively.
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