Best Medical programs in Iowa, ranked by enrollment
Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar.
18 schools in Iowa run programs that feed this job, graduating 508 people a year. The job pays a median of $101,940 in Iowa across about 6,200 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.
15 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 51.2001In Iowa → | 158 | 31.1% | 2 | $48,728 | $23,761 |
| 2 | Public Health, Generalmain feeder CIP 51.2201In Iowa → | 120 | 23.6% | 9 | $36,762 | $25,076 |
| 3 | Health/Health Care Administration/Managementmain feeder CIP 51.0701In Iowa → | 90 | 17.7% | 8 | $30,774 | $17,375 |
| 4 | CIP 51.3818In Iowa → | 38 | 7.5% | 4 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 5 | Health Services Administrationmain feeder CIP 51.2211In Iowa → | 26 | 5.1% | 1 | $36,762 | $25,076 |
| 6 | Public Health, Othermain feeder CIP 51.2299In Iowa → | 23 | 4.5% | 2 | $36,762 | $25,076 |
| 7 | CIP 51.3802In Iowa → | 19 | 3.7% | 3 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 8 | CIP 52.0206In Iowa → | 17 | 3.3% | 2 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
| 9 | CIP 51.3820In Iowa → | 4 | 0.8% | 2 | $71,623 | $25,750 |
| 10 | Patient Safety and Healthcare Qualitymain feeder CIP 51.2213In Iowa → | 3 | 0.6% | 1 | $36,762 | $25,076 |
| 11 | CIP 26.0509In Iowa → | 3 | 0.6% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 12 | CIP 51.0706In Iowa → | 2 | 0.4% | 1 | $30,774 | $17,375 |
| 13 | Community Health and Preventive Medicinemain feeder CIP 51.2208In Iowa → | 2 | 0.4% | 1 | $36,762 | $25,076 |
| 14 | CIP 51.2007In Iowa → | 2 | 0.4% | 1 | $48,728 | $23,761 |
| 15 | Long Term Care Administration/Managementmain feeder CIP 51.0718In Iowa → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $30,774 | $17,375 |
Top 18 schools in Iowa
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 5 of the 18 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 · 9 feeder programs | 256 | Pharmacy | — | 75% | — | 84% |
| 2 | Drake University Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 76 | Pharmacy | — | 74% | $28,855 | 64% |
| 3 | Des Moines University - Osteopathic Medical Center West Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Health/Health Care Administration/Management | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Waldorf University Forest City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 24 | Health/Health Care Administration/Management | $46,923 | 21% | $22,328 | 77% |
| 5 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 22 | Nursing Practice | $68,397 | 50% | $22,816 | 71% |
| 6 | Allen College Waterloo, IA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 18 | Public Health, General | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 18 | Health/Health Care Administration/Management | $49,916 | 34% | $22,697 | 96% |
| 8 | Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Public Health, General | — | 61% | $21,680 | 77% |
| 9 | Iowa State University Ames, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Health/Health Care Administration/Management | — | 75% | — | 89% |
| 10 | Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 10 | Nursing Administration | $66,647 | 58% | $23,054 | 83% |
| 11 | Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Health/Health Care Administration/Management | — | 42% | — | — |
| 12 | Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 8 | Health/Health Care Administration/Management | — | 66% | $23,694 | 100% |
| 13 | Graceland University - Lamoni Lamoni, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Nursing Practice | $66,955 | 42% | $16,430 | 81% |
| 14 | Luther College Decorah, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Infectious Disease and Global Health | — | 71% | $22,827 | 72% |
| 15 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | — | 68% | — | 93% |
| 16 | Wartburg College Waverly, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Public Health, General | — | 64% | $20,228 | 76% |
| 17 | Loras College Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Public Health, General | — | 68% | $19,227 | 100% |
| 18 | Simpson College Indianola, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Health/Health Care Administration/Management | — | 63% | $20,710 | 86% |
All 18 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 | 256 | 9 |
| Drake University | Des Moines | Private not-for-profit | 76 | 4 |
| Des Moines University - Osteopathic Medical Center | West Des Moines | Private not-for-profit | 30 | 2 |
| Waldorf University | Forest City | Private not-for-profit | 24 | 1 |
| Morningside University | Sioux City | Private not-for-profit | 22 | 3 |
| Allen College | Waterloo | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 3 |
| Upper Iowa University | Fayette | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 4 |
| Saint Ambrose University | Davenport | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 1 |
| Iowa State University | Ames | Public | 10 | 1 |
| Mount Mercy University | Cedar Rapids | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 2 |
| Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge | Public | 9 | 1 |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences | Des Moines | Private not-for-profit | 8 | 2 |
| Graceland University - Lamoni | Lamoni | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
| Luther College | Decorah | Private not-for-profit | 3 | 1 |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | Public | 2 | 1 |
What medical and health services managers earn in Iowa
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $123,860. 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 Medical and Health Services Managers page.
How to become a Medical
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
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 25 majors mapped to Medical and Health Services Managers24 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 01.8201Veterinary Administrative Services, General
- 01.8202Veterinary Office Management/Administration
- 26.0509Infectious Disease and Global Health
- 44.0503Health Policy Analysis
- 51.0701Health/Health Care Administration/Management
- 51.0702Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management
- 51.0704Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor
- 51.0706Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator
- 51.0718Long Term Care Administration/Management
- 51.0719Clinical Research Coordinator
- 51.0720Regulatory Science/Affairs
- 51.0721Disease Registry Data Management
- 51.0722Healthcare Innovation
- 51.2001Pharmacy
- 51.2002Pharmacy Administration and Pharmacy Policy and Regulatory Affairs
- 51.2007Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics
- 51.2008Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy
- 51.2011Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management
- 51.2201Public Health, General
- 51.2208Community Health and Preventive Medicine
- 51.2210International Public Health/International Health
- 51.2211Health Services Administration
- 51.2213Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality
- 51.2214Public Health Genetics(no graduates reported)
- 51.2299Public Health, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing medical and health services managers programs in Iowa.
What degree do you need to become a Medical?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Pharmacy, which awarded 158 degrees in Iowa in 2024-25, 31.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Medical?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 15 programs to this occupation. The largest are Public Health, Pharmacy, Health and Medical Administrative Services, Registered Nursing, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 508 people a year in Iowa.
How much do medical and health services managers earn in Iowa?+
The median is $101,940 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 17.7% below the U.S. median of $123,860. 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 medical and health services managers growing?+
BLS projects a +23.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 62,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Iowa?+
18 institutions in Iowa reported graduates from at least one of the 15 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 medical and health services managers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Nursing Director, Clinical Director, Health Information Manager (HIM Manager), Health Information Management Director (HIM Director) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-9111.
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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