Education
Quality public education is a reality in IOWA!
Iowa earns consistently high marks among education experts including a 6th place ranking overall for getting a quality education by Business Facilities Magazine. Iowa's public school graduation rate in 2004 was 90.4%.
The very foundation of Iowa's thriving economy is its top educational institutions. A dedicated commitment to education contributes to its high school graduation rate - 16 percent above the national average. Iowa is one of the smartest states in the nation with its students consistently outperforming their counterparts on national standardized tests.
Iowa has a statewide system of 15 community colleges that offer comprehensive educational programs in three major areas of instruction: preparatory career programs of vocational and technical education for immediate employment in a wide variety of careers, and the college parallel program providing arts and sciences courses that may be transferred to other colleges and universities, and adult, part-time education.
Iowa colleges and universities rank high in several national rankings including the U.S. News & World Report 2006 College Rankings, Kiplinger Magazine's "Top 100 Public Universities for Value by Quality 2006." Besides traditional undergraduate and graduate programs, Iowa colleges and universities offer job training, continuing education programs, and senior auditing options.
Another educational resource for Iowans is the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) [www.icn.state.ia.us], a state-of-the-art fiber-optic communications network that connects all 99 Iowa counties. The ICN carries over 120,000 interactive, real-time hours of classes, courses and one-time events annually.