Best Online Education Programs in Urbandale, IA (2026)

Urbandale, Iowa has a population of about 46,026. The city’s median household income is $113,086 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 16 accredited schools offering education programs near Urbandale, with tuition ranging from $5,304 to $27,683 per year for indexed programs. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $111,470 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Education Schools to Urbandale

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 16 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Urbandale. Distances are calculated from Urbandale city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Drake UniversityDes Moines, IA7.2 miContact school for pricing
Grand View UniversityDes Moines, IA9.4 miContact school for pricing
Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny, IA10.0 miContact school for pricing
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological SeminaryAnkeny, IA10.6 miContact school for pricing
Simpson CollegeIndianola, IA22.0 miContact school for pricing
Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA27.6 mi$10,497 - $27,683
Central CollegePella, IA47.4 miContact school for pricing
Southwestern Community CollegeCreston, IA49.9 miContact school for pricing
Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltown, IA51.4 mi$5,304 - $13,993
Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge, IA62.7 mi$5,376 - $15,405

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


Education Wages Near Urbandale

Urbandale is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). 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$59,950Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$65,376
Elementary School Teacher$57,060Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$62,225
Middle School Teacher$59,180Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$64,537
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$50,020Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$54,547
Education Administrator, K-12$111,470Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$121,559
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$86,050Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$93,839
Tutor$34,950Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$38,113
Educational and Career Counselor$60,010Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$65,442

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Urbandale at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population46,026Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$113,086Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+51.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Polk County4,676 workers, 360 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Urbandale-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Urbandale, IA?

Our directory has 16 accredited schools offering education programs near Urbandale. The closest is Drake University in Des Moines, IA (7.2 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Iowa Central Community College (62.7 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Urbandale?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Urbandale are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($111,470), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($86,050), Educational and Career Counselor ($60,010). 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 Johnston instead of Urbandale?

Johnston, IA is 4.6 miles from Urbandale 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 Urbandale an affordable place to study education?

Urbandale’s median household income of $113,086 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Urbandale 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.