Best Life programs in Iowa, ranked by enrollment
All life, physical, and social science technicians not listed.
29 schools in Iowa run programs that feed this job, graduating 506 people a year. The job pays a median of $50,480 in Iowa across about 420 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Iowa that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
4 programs in Iowa that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Iowa (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Iowa page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 43.0104In Iowa → | 328 | 64.8% | 26 | $37,408 | $24,069 |
| 2 | CIP 45.0401In Iowa → | 165 | 32.6% | 5 | $37,366 | $25,000 |
| 3 | CIP 43.0406In Iowa → | 12 | 2.4% | 3 | $40,889 | $25,000 |
| 4 | CIP 40.0401In Iowa → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $41,430 | $25,500 |
Top 25 schools in Iowa
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 14 of the 29 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa State University Ames, IA Public · 2 feeder programs | 85 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $41,624 | 75% | — | 89% |
| 2 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 77 | Criminology | $38,520 | 75% | — | 84% |
| 3 | Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 41 | Criminology | $43,170 | 34% | $22,697 | 96% |
| 4 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Criminology | $43,914 | 68% | — | 93% |
| 5 | Waldorf University Forest City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $42,735 | 21% | $22,328 | 77% |
| 6 | Buena Vista University Storm Lake, IA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 26 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $37,641 | 62% | $17,609 | 78% |
| 7 | University of Dubuque Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 26 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $46,307 | 40% | $21,324 | 89% |
| 8 | Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $42,555 | 39% | — | — |
| 9 | Simpson College Indianola, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $42,862 | 63% | $20,710 | 86% |
| 10 | Grand View University Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $45,175 | 54% | $20,840 | 99% |
| 11 | Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 40% | — | — |
| 12 | Graceland University - Lamoni Lamoni, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 42% | $16,430 | 81% |
| 13 | Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 66% | $18,153 | 64% |
| 14 | Loras College Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $47,413 | 68% | $19,227 | 100% |
| 15 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 50% | $22,816 | 71% |
| 16 | Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 61% | $21,680 | 77% |
| 17 | William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Criminology | — | 33% | $21,533 | 52% |
| 18 | Briar Cliff University Sioux City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 48% | $21,731 | — |
| 19 | Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 45% | — | — |
| 20 | Southwestern Community College Creston, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 59% | — | — |
| 21 | Hawkeye Community College Waterloo, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $49,572 | 43% | — | — |
| 22 | Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $43,547 | 50% | — | — |
| 23 | Dordt University Sioux Center, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 70% | $24,569 | 68% |
| 24 | Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 51% | — | — |
| 25 | Southeastern Community College West Burlington, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 43% | — | — |
All 29 schools in Iowa
Every school in Iowa with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University | Ames | Public | 85 | 2 |
| University of Iowa | Iowa City | Public | 77 | 1 |
| Upper Iowa University | Fayette | Private not-for-profit | 41 | 2 |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | Public | 33 | 1 |
| Waldorf University | Forest City | Private not-for-profit | 29 | 1 |
| Buena Vista University | Storm Lake | Private not-for-profit | 26 | 3 |
| University of Dubuque | Dubuque | Private not-for-profit | 26 | 2 |
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | Public | 19 | 1 |
| Simpson College | Indianola | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 2 |
| Grand View University | Des Moines | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 1 |
| Iowa Western Community College | Council Bluffs | Public | 15 | 1 |
| Graceland University - Lamoni | Lamoni | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
| Coe College | Cedar Rapids | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 1 |
| Loras College | Dubuque | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 1 |
| Morningside University | Sioux City | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 1 |
What life, physical, and social science technicians, all other earn in Iowa
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $62,280. Iowa pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Iowa
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other page.
How to become a Life
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Iowa
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 12 majors mapped to Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other12 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 40.0401Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
- 40.1001Materials Science
- 40.1002Materials Chemistry
- 41.0000Science Technologies/Technicians, General
- 41.0303Chemical Process Technology
- 41.0399Physical Science Technologies/Technicians, Other
- 41.9999Science Technologies/Technicians, Other
- 43.0100Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
- 43.0104Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
- 43.0402Criminalistics and Criminal Science
- 43.0406Forensic Science and Technology
- 45.0401Criminology
Common questions
Answers for people weighing life, physical, and social science technicians, all other programs in Iowa.
What degree do you need to become a Life?+
Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, which awarded 328 degrees in Iowa in 2024-25, 64.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Life?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 4 programs to this occupation. The largest are Criminal Justice and Corrections, Criminology, Security Science and Technology, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology. Together they graduate about 506 people a year in Iowa.
How much do life, physical, and social science technicians, all other earn in Iowa?+
The median is $50,480 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 18.9% below the U.S. median of $62,280. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for life, physical, and social science technicians, all other growing?+
BLS projects a +3.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 10,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Iowa?+
29 institutions in Iowa reported graduates from at least one of the 4 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do life, physical, and social science technicians, all other work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Research Associate, Geospatial Extractor, Meteorologist Liaison, Lab Technician (Lab Tech), Digital Cartographic Technician, Quality Control Technician (QC Tech) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4099.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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