Best Political Science Schools Near Iowa City, IA (2026)

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

Iowa City, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $36,658 to $51,141 per year for indexed programs. Iowa City has a population of about 75,264. Median household income is $57,533 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Iowa City, IA metro area, the top-earning political science-related role is Management Analysts at a median $84,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Iowa City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer political science programs near Iowa City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Iowa City 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 Iowa City. 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

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 0.5 miles from Iowa City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
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: 199

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science Wages Near Iowa City

Iowa City is part of the Iowa City, IA metro area (BLS area code 26980). 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)
Political Scientists N/A IA statewide –
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $80,160 IA statewide $87,607
Management Analysts $84,100 Iowa City, IA $91,913
Public Relations Specialists $64,170 Iowa City, IA $70,131
Survey Researchers $83,170 IA statewide $90,896
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $66,400 Iowa City, IA $72,568
Compliance Officers $79,060 Iowa City, IA $86,404
Social and Community Service Managers $66,420 Iowa City, IA $72,590

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.

Iowa City at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 75,264 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $57,533 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 60.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Iowa City-Area Cities With Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Iowa City, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Iowa City. The closest is University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA (0.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Ambrose University (49.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Iowa City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Iowa City are: Management Analysts ($84,100), Survey Researchers ($83,170), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($80,160). 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 Coralville instead of Iowa City?

Coralville, IA is 4.5 miles from Iowa City and has its own set of local political science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Iowa City an affordable place to study political science?

Iowa City’s median household income of $57,533 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Iowa City 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 Political Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Iowa City

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

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 Political Science Schools in Iowa: Online Programs (2026)