Best Political Science Teacher, Postsecondary programs in Iowa, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses in political science, international affairs, and international relations.
22 schools in Iowa run programs that feed this job, graduating 370 people a year. The job pays a median of $80,160 in Iowa across about 100 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.
7 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 45.1001In Iowa → | 297 | 80.3% | 22 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 2 | CIP 45.0901In Iowa → | 48 | 13.0% | 7 | $37,878 | $21,750 |
| 3 | CIP 45.0999In Iowa → | 9 | 2.4% | 1 | $37,878 | $21,750 |
| 4 | CIP 45.1002In Iowa → | 7 | 1.9% | 1 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 5 | CIP 30.5101In Iowa → | 5 | 1.4% | 1 | — | — |
| 6 | CIP 44.0501In Iowa → | 2 | 0.5% | 1 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 7 | CIP 45.1099In Iowa → | 2 | 0.5% | 1 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
Top 22 schools in Iowa
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 5 of the 22 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 · 3 feeder programs | 150 | Political Science and Government, General | $39,133 | 75% | — | 84% |
| 2 | Iowa State University Ames, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 48 | Political Science and Government, General | $30,715 | 75% | — | 89% |
| 3 | Drake University Des Moines, IA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 35 | International Relations and Affairs | — | 74% | $28,855 | 64% |
| 4 | Grinnell College Grinnell, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Political Science and Government, General | $36,662 | 88% | $14,470 | 15% |
| 5 | University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA Public · 3 feeder programs | 15 | Political Science and Government, General | $37,875 | 68% | — | 93% |
| 6 | Simpson College Indianola, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 13 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 63% | $20,710 | 86% |
| 7 | Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 62% | $23,073 | 80% |
| 8 | Luther College Decorah, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 12 | Political Science and Government, General | $21,358 | 71% | $22,827 | 72% |
| 9 | Wartburg College Waverly, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 10 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 64% | $20,228 | 76% |
| 10 | Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 11 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 50% | $22,816 | 71% |
| 12 | Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 61% | $21,680 | 77% |
| 13 | Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 66% | $18,153 | 64% |
| 14 | Loras College Dubuque, IA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 3 | International Relations and Affairs | — | 68% | $19,227 | 100% |
| 15 | Central College Pella, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 66% | $19,732 | 86% |
| 16 | Dordt University Sioux Center, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 70% | $24,569 | 68% |
| 17 | Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 45% | — | — |
| 18 | Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 58% | $23,054 | 83% |
| 19 | Northwestern College Orange City, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 66% | $22,419 | 80% |
| 20 | William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 33% | $21,533 | 52% |
| 21 | Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 40% | — | — |
| 22 | Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Political Science and Government, General | — | 43% | — | — |
All 22 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 | 150 | 3 |
| Iowa State University | Ames | Public | 48 | 1 |
| Drake University | Des Moines | Private not-for-profit | 35 | 3 |
| Grinnell College | Grinnell | Private not-for-profit | 33 | 1 |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | Public | 15 | 3 |
| Simpson College | Indianola | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 2 |
| Cornell College | Mount Vernon | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 2 |
| Luther College | Decorah | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 2 |
| Wartburg College | Waverly | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 2 |
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | Public | 8 | 1 |
| Morningside University | Sioux City | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 2 |
| Saint Ambrose University | Davenport | Private not-for-profit | 7 | 1 |
| Coe College | Cedar Rapids | Private not-for-profit | 3 | 1 |
| Loras College | Dubuque | Private not-for-profit | 3 | 2 |
| Central College | Pella | Private not-for-profit | 2 | 1 |
What political science teachers, postsecondary earn in Iowa
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $98,070. Iowa pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
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 Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary page.
How to become a Political Science Teacher, Postsecondary
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or 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 12 majors mapped to Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary12 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 30.4601History and Political Science
- 30.5101Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
- 44.0501Public Policy Analysis, General
- 44.0502Education Policy Analysis
- 44.0504International Policy Analysis
- 45.0901International Relations and Affairs
- 45.0902National Security Policy Studies
- 45.0999International Relations and National Security Studies, Other
- 45.1001Political Science and Government, General
- 45.1002American Government and Politics (United States)
- 45.1004Political Economy
- 45.1099Political Science and Government, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing political science teachers, postsecondary programs in Iowa.
What degree do you need to become a Political Science Teacher, Postsecondary?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Political Science and Government, General, which awarded 297 degrees in Iowa in 2024-25, 80.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Political Science Teacher, Postsecondary?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Political Science and Government, International Relations and National Security Studies, Philosophy, Public Policy Analysis. Together they graduate about 370 people a year in Iowa.
How much do political science teachers, postsecondary earn in Iowa?+
The median is $80,160 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 18.3% below the U.S. median of $98,070. 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 political science teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +2.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 1,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Iowa?+
22 institutions in Iowa reported graduates from at least one of the 7 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 political science teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Associate Professor, Political Science Professor, Political Science Instructor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1065.
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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