Best Market Research Analyst programs in Iowa, ranked by enrollment
Research conditions in local, regional, national, or online markets. Gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or plan a marketing or advertising campaign.
17 schools in Iowa run programs that feed this job, graduating 841 people a year. The job pays a median of $66,390 in Iowa across about 8,880 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.
8 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 52.1401In Iowa → | 730 | 86.8% | 14 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 2 | CIP 52.1404In Iowa → | 40 | 4.8% | 1 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 3 | CIP 52.1499In Iowa → | 25 | 3.0% | 2 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 4 | Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operationsmain feeder CIP 52.1904In Iowa → | 16 | 1.9% | 2 | $35,157 | $26,750 |
| 5 | CIP 30.7102In Iowa → | 12 | 1.4% | 3 | — | — |
| 6 | CIP 52.1403In Iowa → | 9 | 1.1% | 1 | $44,670 | $24,250 |
| 7 | CIP 45.0602In Iowa → | 6 | 0.7% | 1 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 8 | CIP 19.0905In Iowa → | 3 | 0.4% | 1 | $36,635 | $24,750 |
Top 17 schools in Iowa
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 17 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 285 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $52,895 | 75% | — | 84% |
| 2 | Iowa State University Ames, IA Public · 2 feeder programs | 248 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $48,304 | 75% | — | 89% |
| 3 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA Public · 4 feeder programs | 56 | Digital Marketing | $48,990 | 68% | — | 93% |
| 4 | Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, IA Public · 2 feeder programs | 41 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 43% | — | — |
| 5 | Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA Public · 2 feeder programs | 40 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 6 | Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 37 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $46,480 | 61% | $21,680 | 77% |
| 7 | Drake University Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 34 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $51,968 | 74% | $28,855 | 64% |
| 8 | Grand View University Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $45,057 | 54% | $20,840 | 99% |
| 9 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Marketing, Other | — | 50% | $22,816 | 71% |
| 10 | Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $40,690 | 58% | $23,054 | 83% |
| 11 | Loras College Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Business Analytics | — | 68% | $19,227 | 100% |
| 12 | Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Marketing, Other | $52,313 | 34% | $22,697 | 96% |
| 13 | Dordt University Sioux Center, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $43,944 | 70% | $24,569 | 68% |
| 14 | University of Dubuque Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $48,207 | 40% | $21,324 | 89% |
| 15 | Buena Vista University Storm Lake, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | $42,972 | 62% | $17,609 | 78% |
| 16 | Graceland University - Lamoni Lamoni, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 42% | $16,430 | 81% |
| 17 | Briar Cliff University Sioux City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Marketing/Marketing Management, General | — | 48% | $21,731 | — |
All 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa | Iowa City | Public | 285 | 1 |
| Iowa State University | Ames | Public | 248 | 2 |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | Public | 56 | 4 |
| Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids | Public | 41 | 2 |
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | Public | 40 | 2 |
| Saint Ambrose University | Davenport | Private not-for-profit | 37 | 1 |
| Drake University | Des Moines | Private not-for-profit | 34 | 1 |
| Grand View University | Des Moines | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 2 |
| Morningside University | Sioux City | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| Mount Mercy University | Cedar Rapids | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 1 |
| Loras College | Dubuque | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 2 |
| Upper Iowa University | Fayette | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 1 |
| Dordt University | Sioux Center | Private not-for-profit | 9 | 1 |
| University of Dubuque | Dubuque | Private not-for-profit | 9 | 1 |
| Buena Vista University | Storm Lake | Private not-for-profit | 8 | 1 |
What market research analysts and marketing specialists earn in Iowa
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $78,760. 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 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists page.
How to become a Market Research Analyst
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
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 16 majors mapped to Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists16 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 19.0203Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management
- 19.0905Apparel and Textile Marketing Management
- 30.7102Business Analytics
- 45.0602Applied Economics
- 52.1401Marketing/Marketing Management, General
- 52.1402Marketing Research
- 52.1403International Marketing
- 52.1404Digital Marketing
- 52.1499Marketing, Other
- 52.1904Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations
- 52.1905Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations
- 52.1906Tourism Promotion Operations
- 52.1907Vehicle and Vehicle Parts and Accessories Marketing Operations
- 52.1908Business and Personal/Financial Services Marketing Operations
- 52.1909Special Products Marketing Operations
- 52.1910Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations
Common questions
Answers for people weighing market research analysts and marketing specialists programs in Iowa.
What degree do you need to become a Market Research Analyst?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Marketing/Marketing Management, General, which awarded 730 degrees in Iowa in 2024-25, 86.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Market Research Analyst?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Marketing, Specialized Sales, Data Analytics, Economics, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 841 people a year in Iowa.
How much do market research analysts and marketing specialists earn in Iowa?+
The median is $66,390 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 15.7% below the U.S. median of $78,760. 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 market research analysts and marketing specialists growing?+
BLS projects a +6.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 87,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Iowa?+
17 institutions in Iowa reported graduates from at least one of the 8 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 market research analysts and marketing specialists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Market Analyst, Digital Media Planner, Paid Search Strategist, Market Research Analyst, Market Research Consultant, Market Research Specialist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 13-1161.
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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