Overview of Online Colleges in Iowa
Online learning opportunities at Iowa’s colleges and universities saw an enrollment of 114,809 online students in the fall of 2013. Seven of the state’s community colleges have united under the auspices of creating a learning partnership, forming the Iowa Community College Online Consortium (ICCOC). Prospective students can visit this portal for information pertaining to undergraduate degrees, financing and scholarship opportunities and to review the online courses currently being offered at any participating Iowa school.
Enrollment in Iowa’s colleges and universities has been dealt the blow of high tuition costs alongside the strain of a limited amount of state funding. According to a 2011-12 College Board study, private school tuition rates are, in some cases, more than triple the cost of public school education in this state. The same study reports that two-year institutions in Iowa had some of the highest tuition costs in the country. However, tuition rates for Iowa’s four-year institutions have risen less than 10% in five years for both in and out-of-state students. The ten-year, 13% increase in public school enrollment in Iowa is only six points less than the national average. This is still a 31.7% increase in enrollment since 2002.
Read on to discover if one of Iowa’s online programs in higher learning is a good fit for your needs. On this site, you will also find an inclusive list of financial aid resources such as scholarships and grants offered in the state. For prospective students who are curious about Iowa’s 66 degree-granting institutions’ graduation rates, enrollment statistics have also been collected under the State Facts and Higher Learning pages.