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Best Government Contracting Schools Near Ames, IA (2026)
Ames, Iowa is home to about 66,112 residents. Median household income is $60,102 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning government contracting-related role is Purchasing Managers at a median $121,580 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Government Contracting Schools to Ames
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer government contracting programs near Ames, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ames city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa government contracting page.
Government Contracting Wages Near Ames
Ames is part of the Ames, IA metro area (BLS area code 11180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchasing Managers | $121,580 | IA statewide | $136,914 |
| Management Analysts | $88,510 | Ames, IA | $99,673 |
| Compliance Officers | $80,370 | Ames, IA | $90,507 |
| Logisticians | $75,620 | Ames, IA | $85,158 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $76,510 | Ames, IA | $86,160 |
| Administrative Services Managers | $103,440 | Ames, IA | $116,486 |
| Cost Estimators | $76,920 | Ames, IA | $86,622 |
| General and Operations Managers | $97,700 | Ames, IA | $110,023 |
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.
Ames at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 66,112 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $60,102 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 63.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 88.8 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Ames-Area Cities With Government Contracting Programs
- Ankeny, IA – 20.6 mi away (58,627 pop)
- Johnston, IA – 24.0 mi away (21,114 pop)
- Urbandale, IA – 27.9 mi away (43,018 pop)
- Des Moines, IA – 31.4 mi away (476,689 pop)
- West Des Moines, IA – 33.6 mi away (64,560 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the highest-paying government contracting roles near Ames?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying government contracting-related roles near Ames are: Purchasing Managers ($121,580), Administrative Services Managers ($103,440), General and Operations Managers ($97,700). 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 Ankeny instead of Ames?
Ankeny, IA is 20.6 miles from Ames and has its own set of local government contracting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Ames an affordable place to study government contracting?
Ames’s median household income of $60,102 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ames 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 Government Contracting Programs
- Is a Government Contracting degree worth it?
- Main Government Contracting degree guide
- Online Government Contracting programs in Iowa
- Government Contracting programs by state
Other Programs Available in Ames
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Ames:
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Data verified: September 7, 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.