Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
Iowa Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for Iowa — 497,102 students in 1,338 schools in 2024–25, with enrollment history back to 1986 and county-level detail from 2002.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 497,102 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 1,338 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 34,953 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 14.2 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 41.6% | 2024–25 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 10.7% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 0.2% | 2024–25 |
| High school graduation rate | 88.8% | 2024–25 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 63.8% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 69.7% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 26.1% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 70.3% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 7.3% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 13.6% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 2.5% | 2024–25 |
Not every statistic is collected every year — each row shows its most recent available school year (amber when older than 2024–25). Blank/absent means not collected or below reliability floors, never zero. Some universal-meals states no longer report free/reduced-price lunch — school poverty (MEPS) is the better lens there. A 0% charter share in a state without a charter-school law is a true zero.
Iowa state report card
Outcomes reported directly by Iowa’s education agency — often more current than the federal series above. Because each state uses its own tests, definitions, and reporting windows, these figures are not comparable state-to-state; each row notes how Iowa measures it.
| Measure | Latest | Trend | School year |
|---|---|---|---|
Math proficiency (state test) How Iowa measures thisISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) Math, grades 3-11, percent Proficient or above; N-weighted aggregate computed from the statewide 'State' row per-grade Proficient and Total Tested counts (no all-grades aggregate is published); includes DLM alternate-assessment and Partial Academic Year students; excludes English learners in their first or second year in the U.S. | 70.9% | 2024–25 | |
Reading / ELA proficiency (state test) How Iowa measures thisISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) ELA, grades 3-11, percent Proficient or above; N-weighted aggregate computed from the statewide 'State' row per-grade Proficient and Total Tested counts (no all-grades aggregate is published); includes DLM alternate-assessment and Partial Academic Year students; excludes English learners in their first or second year in the U.S. | 73.6% | 2024–25 | |
Chronic absenteeism (recent) How Iowa measures thisPercent of grades K-12 public school students chronically absent (Iowa defines chronic absence as missing 10% or more of enrolled days); students enrolled >=10 days in the district are included; SRI 2024-25 spring data collection; statewide 'State Total' row; K-12 series used (a K-8 series is also published: 12.96%) | 15.8% | 2024–25 |
Source: IowaDepartment of Education (public reporting), 2026 collection. Not comparable across states — proficiency reflects different assessments and cut scores; graduation, dropout, and college-going use each state’s own cohort definitions and windows. Absent rows mean the state doesn’t publish that measure in a comparable file.
Iowa schools by county
Students enrolled, 2024–25.
Iowa schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in Iowa?+
497,102 students were enrolled in Iowa's 1,338 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year, taught by 34,953 full-time-equivalent teachers (NCES Common Core of Data).
What share of Iowa students get free or reduced-price lunch?+
41.6% of Iowa public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25 — a common proxy for student economic need.
What is Iowa's high school graduation rate?+
88.8% of Iowa's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2024–25 school year — reported by Iowa's education agency (its 4-year ACGR, more current than the federal series, which lags to 2021–22). Graduation rates run from 2010–11 onward.
Where does this data come from?+
Core statistics (enrollment, schools, teachers, poverty, demographics) come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. The most recent graduation rates and the state report-card outcomes (proficiency, college-going, dropout, chronic absenteeism) come directly from state education agencies, which publish sooner than the federal series. Full source and license details are on the methodology page. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES or any state agency.
Other states
Data: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (CCD, EDFacts, CRDC) and ED Data Express, plus current-year graduation and report-card outcomes from state education agencies. Full source and license details on the methodology page.