Iowa
Student Access & Success
Iowa’s four-year institutions’ performance places the state in the top 10 nationally for completion and retention rates, although the state is near the bottom in the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. Iowa’s two- year institutions have a completion rate in the top 10, and its credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates and the percentage of Pell recipients are both above average.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Iowa receives a low grade (four-years) and middling grade (two-years) in this area. The state’s four-year cost per completion ($74,426) is above the national median of $68,140, while the two-year cost per completion ($53,755) is below the national median at $57,210.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of an Iowa bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $14,500 (or 46%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 3 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $6,500 (or 21%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 2 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Iowa receives a below average score for its consumer information and public accountability resources. The state does not measure student learning outcomes, nor does it track labor market outcomes at the four-year level. The Iowa community college system does provide details on the wages of system graduates as a part of its annual report.
Policy Environment
Iowa gets an average mark in this area. The Iowa Board of Regents’ strategic plan includes goals concerning student outcomes and efficiency, measured in explicit targets. The “Transfer in Iowa” website helps students navigate which individual classes transfer. The state does not have an outcomes-based funding system.
Innovation
The “Iowa Learns” distance learning catalog, a collaborative effort between Iowa Public Television and the state’s universities, provides access to online courses; however, the portal does not include full degree programs. In addition, seven of the state’s community colleges have partnered to create the Online Learning Consortium. The Iowa Board of Regents has a specific goal to increase student enrollment in distance education by 15% by 2016. Regarding new providers, Iowa has fairly burdensome licensure fees and approval processes.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
IA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 21.3 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 84.0 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 67.9 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 20.6 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
| Complete College America |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $74,426 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $53,718 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $92,802 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | B |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $14,492 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 146.0 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $11,278 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 141.2 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.2 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.7 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 5.7 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 4.0 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | F |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
IA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 53.6 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 56.1 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 33.0 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 19.2 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 5 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $53,755 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $30,352 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $44,906 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $6,492 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 120.6 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $6,196 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 122.7 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 1.9 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.26 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
IA Nat'l| Policy Environment | C |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | false | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | D |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 61% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 50% | |
| Financial Burden | 73% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 60% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | C |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 57.1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 4 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 3
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 16
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 53982
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 73578