Best Online Education Programs in Iowa City, IA (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Iowa City, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering education programs. Iowa City has a population of about 75,264. Median household income is $57,533 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Iowa City, IA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $103,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Education Schools to Iowa City

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Iowa City. Distances are calculated from Iowa City city center.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Iowa City. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 24.9 miles from Iowa City BOC Score59.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA 49.7 miles from Iowa City BOC Score62.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#3

William Penn University

Oskaloosa, IA 62.6 miles from Iowa City BOC Score33.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#4

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 76.2 miles from Iowa City BOC Score68.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#5

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA 82.9 miles from Iowa City BOC Score42.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa education page.

Education Wages Near Iowa City

Iowa City is part of the Iowa City, IA metro area (BLS area code 26980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$62,100Iowa City, IA$67,869
Elementary School Teacher$60,870Iowa City, IA$66,525
Middle School Teacher$61,380Iowa City, IA$67,082
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$62,090IA statewide$67,858
Education Administrator, K-12$103,420Iowa City, IA$113,027
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$101,330Iowa City, IA$110,743
Tutor$43,920Iowa City, IA$48,000
Educational and Career Counselor$59,850Iowa City, IA$65,410

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Iowa City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population75,264Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$57,533Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+60.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Johnson County1,318 workers, 130 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Iowa City-Area Cities With Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Iowa City, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering education programs near Iowa City. The closest is Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA (24.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Upper Iowa University (82.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Iowa City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Iowa City are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($103,420), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($101,330), Secondary School Teacher ($62,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Coralville instead of Iowa City?

Coralville, IA is 4.5 miles from Iowa City and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Iowa City an affordable place to study education?

Iowa City’s median household income of $57,533 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Iowa City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Iowa City

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Iowa City:

Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Online Education Programs in Iowa (2026)

Return to Best Online Education Programs in Iowa (2026)