Best Innovation Schools Near Dubuque, IA (2026)

Dubuque, Iowa has 6 accredited schools offering innovation programs, with tuition ranging from $4,334 to $42,103 per year for indexed programs. Dubuque has a population of about 59,271. Median household income is $64,985 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Dubuque, IA metro area, the top-earning innovation-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $136,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Innovation Schools to Dubuque

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

#1

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 73.8 miles from Dubuque BOC Score 73.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southeastern Community College

West Burlington, IA 118.9 miles from Dubuque BOC Score 50.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,882
Avg net price $12,347/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,420
Out‑of‑state$6,570
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

William Penn University

Oskaloosa, IA 129.4 miles from Dubuque 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

North Iowa Area Community College

Mason City, IA 131.0 miles from Dubuque 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

#5

Indian Hills Community College

Ottumwa, IA 132.9 miles from Dubuque BOC Score 56.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,507
Avg net price $10,693/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 153.7 miles from Dubuque BOC Score 76.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Des Moines Area Community College

Ankeny, IA 158.7 miles from Dubuque BOC Score 50.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,018
Avg net price $11,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Drake University

Des Moines, IA 163.4 miles from Dubuque BOC Score 72.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,901
Avg net price $29,127/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Innovation Wages Near Dubuque

Dubuque is part of the Dubuque, IA metro area (BLS area code 20220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Manager$92,530Dubuque, IA$105,991
Management Analyst$73,960Dubuque, IA$84,719
Marketing Manager$127,280Dubuque, IA$145,796
Computer and Information Systems Manager$136,670Dubuque, IA$156,552

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.


Dubuque at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population59,271Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,985Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+33.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Dubuque-Area Cities With Innovation Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited innovation schools are near Dubuque, IA?

Our directory has 6 accredited schools offering innovation programs near Dubuque. The closest is University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA (71.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rock Valley College (88.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying innovation roles near Dubuque?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying innovation-related roles near Dubuque are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($136,670), Marketing Manager ($127,280), General and Operations Manager ($92,530). 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 Clinton instead of Dubuque?

Clinton, IA is 51.3 miles from Dubuque and has its own set of local innovation programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Dubuque an affordable place to study innovation?

Dubuque’s median household income of $64,985 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dubuque 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 Innovation Programs

Other Programs Available in Dubuque

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

Data verified: August 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.