Best History Schools Near Waterloo, IA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Waterloo, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering history programs, with tuition ranging from $6,780 to $22,278 per year for indexed programs. Waterloo has a population of about 66,947. Median household income is $56,344 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning history-related role is History Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $77,040 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest History Schools to Waterloo

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer history programs near Waterloo, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Waterloo city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 Waterloo. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, IA 4.4 miles from Waterloo
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,849
Avg net price $9,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

History Wages Near Waterloo

Waterloo is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area (BLS area code 47940). 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)
Historians N/A IA statewide –
Archivists $59,010 IA statewide $67,750
Curators $53,830 IA statewide $61,803
Museum Technicians and Conservators $51,740 IA statewide $59,403
History Teachers, Postsecondary $77,040 IA statewide $88,450
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,440 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $69,392
Writers and Authors $61,010 IA statewide $70,046
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists $63,180 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $72,537

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.

Waterloo at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 66,947 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,344 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Waterloo-Area Cities With History Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited history schools are near Waterloo, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering history programs near Waterloo. The closest is Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, IA (4.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northeast Iowa Community College (53.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying history roles near Waterloo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying history-related roles near Waterloo are: History Teachers, Postsecondary ($77,040), Librarians and Media Collections Specialists ($63,180), Writers and Authors ($61,010). 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 Cedar Falls instead of Waterloo?

Cedar Falls, IA is 5.5 miles from Waterloo and has its own set of local history programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Waterloo an affordable place to study history?

Waterloo’s median household income of $56,344 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waterloo 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 History Programs

Other Programs Available in Waterloo

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 History Schools in Iowa: Online Programs (2026)