Iowa Schools & Education
School quality and education data for all 99 counties.
Avg Graduation Rate
92.3%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$7,591
Avg School Score
61/100
Total Schools
1,327
328 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Iowa
Iowa Leads in Graduation Rates with Lean Spending
Iowa boasts a 92.3% graduation rate, significantly outperforming the national average of 87.0%. Despite this success, the state spends only $7,591 per pupil, which is roughly 42% below the national average of $13,000. This high performance places Iowa well above the national median school score of 50.0.
Significant Achievement Gaps Across 99 Counties
Educational outcomes vary across the state, with school scores ranging from a high of 59.4 down to 45.3. While Dallas County achieves a 97.3% graduation rate, Buena Vista County lags behind at just 72.2%. This 25-point gap in graduation rates reveals a stark disparity between the state's best and worst performing regions.
High Return on Every Education Dollar Spent
Iowa demonstrates exceptional return on investment by hitting a 92.3% graduation rate while spending $5,400 less per student than the national average. Even the state's highest spender, Kossuth County at $8,712, remains thousands of dollars below the national benchmark. This efficiency proves that Iowa's public schools prioritize outcomes over high-cost overhead.
Union and Winneshiek Counties Set the Bar
Union and Winneshiek counties lead the state with matching top scores of 59.4 and graduation rates exceeding 96%. Howard County follows closely with a 59.0 score and a 95.7% graduation rate. These three counties represent the peak of Iowa’s educational system, combining strong graduation figures with moderate spending.
A Strong Choice for Efficient Public Schooling
Iowa remains a powerhouse for education, consistently outperforming national benchmarks in graduation rates and overall scores. Families should look to high-performing counties like Dallas, Union, and Winneshiek for the state's most reliable results. While spending stays low statewide, the academic outcomes remain among the most competitive in the country.
Top Performing School Counties
All Iowa Counties
— = data pending from NCES pipeline.
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.