Best Online Human Services Programs in Cedar Falls, IA (2026)

Cedar Falls, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $6,653 to $34,022 per year for indexed programs. Cedar Falls has a population of about 40,662. Median household income is $74,165 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor at a median $63,230 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Human Services Schools to Cedar Falls

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer human services programs near Cedar Falls, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cedar Falls 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 Cedar Falls. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, IA 39.8 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 42.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,766
Avg net price $20,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,475
Out‑of‑state$19,475
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Iowa Area Community College

Mason City, IA 56.1 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 57.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,462
Avg net price $10,010/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,653
Out‑of‑state$9,551
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

William Penn University

Oskaloosa, IA 84.2 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 33.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,936
Avg net price $22,601/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA 85.7 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 51.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,824
Avg net price $21,774/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Iowa Central Community College

Fort Dodge, IA 89.0 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 54.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,046
Avg net price $9,328/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Simpson College

Indianola, IA 98.0 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 64.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 86%
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,274
Avg net price $21,936/yr
Tuition
In‑state$47,656
Out‑of‑state$47,656
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA 140.5 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 54.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,156
Avg net price $18,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, IA 192.0 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 48.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,793
Avg net price $14,629/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Human Services Wages Near Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Human Service Assistant$44,250Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$50,804
Social and Community Service Manager$59,820Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$68,680
Child, Family and School Social Worker$56,530Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$64,902
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor$63,230Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$72,595

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.


Cedar Falls at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,662Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$74,165Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+49.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Cedar Falls-Area Cities With Human Services Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Cedar Falls, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near Cedar Falls. The closest is Upper Iowa University in Fayette, IA (39.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grand View University (85.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying human services roles near Cedar Falls?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Cedar Falls are: Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($63,230), Social and Community Service Manager ($59,820), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($56,530). 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 Waterloo instead of Cedar Falls?

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

Is Cedar Falls an affordable place to study human services?

Cedar Falls’s median household income of $74,165 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cedar Falls 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 Human Services Programs

Other Programs Available in Cedar Falls

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.