Best Online Education Programs in Marion, IA (2026)

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

Marion, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering education programs. Marion has a population of about 41,690. Median household income is $87,105 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, Postsecondary at a median $108,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Education Schools to Marion

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Marion. Distances are calculated from Marion 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 Marion. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 4.6 miles from Marion BOC Score59.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 55.4 miles from Marion BOC Score68.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA 56.0 miles from Marion BOC Score42.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA 62.4 miles from Marion BOC Score62.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Platteville, WI 73.3 miles from Marion BOC Score68.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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

Education Wages Near Marion

Marion is part of the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area (BLS area code 16300). 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$61,780Cedar Rapids, IA$69,416
Elementary School Teacher$61,430Cedar Rapids, IA$69,022
Middle School Teacher$63,040Cedar Rapids, IA$70,831
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$48,700Cedar Rapids, IA$54,719
Education Administrator, K-12$105,200Cedar Rapids, IA$118,202
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$108,400Cedar Rapids, IA$121,798
Tutor$38,410Cedar Rapids, IA$43,157
Educational and Career Counselor$58,800Cedar Rapids, IA$66,067

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.

Marion at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population41,690Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$87,105Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+39.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Linn County2,976 workers, 136 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Marion-Area Cities With Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Marion, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering education programs near Marion. The closest is Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA (4.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Platteville (73.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Marion?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Marion are: Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($108,400), Education Administrator, K-12 ($105,200), Middle School Teacher ($63,040). 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 Cedar Rapids instead of Marion?

Cedar Rapids, IA is 7.2 miles from Marion 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 Marion an affordable place to study education?

Marion’s median household income of $87,105 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Marion 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 Marion

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

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)

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