Education
Quality of education is an important topic in any community. More than an important topic in Cedar Rapids, it is a way of life. The Cedar Rapids School District recently invested some $46 million for the renovation and improvement of many of its schools. The schools continue to rank well above the national average. We invest in our future by providing excellent resources as early as preschool.
Primary and Secondary
The Cedar Rapids metropolitan area is served by four public school districts and the Metropolitan Office of Catholic Education. The combined districts make up one of the largest school systems in Iowa. Enrollment for the 2001-2002 school year was over 35,000 students. The Cedar Rapids area is committed to continuously improving the quality of education within the community. Three new elementary schools are under construction, along with expansions and renovations to the existing elementary, middle and high schools throughout the Cedar Rapids area.
The Cedar Rapids Community School District is the second largest of Iowa’s 397 public school systems. Enrollment for the 2001-2002 school year totals approximately 21,000 students. The number of teachers totals 1,336, resulting in a 1:16 teacher student ratio. The graduation rate in Cedar Rapids continues to be among the highest in the United States. Last year, 88.4 percent graduated. The same percentage of graduating high school students enrolled in post-secondary education.
The outlying school districts in Cedar Rapids include College Community School District, Linn-Mar Community School District, and Marion Indpendent School District. College Cmmunity School District, located in Cedar Rapids, serves the communities of Swisher, Ely, Fairfax and Walford, significant rurual areas of Linn and Johnson counties and small portions of Benton County. Linn-Mar Community School District includes the northern part of Marion, an area of Cedar Rapids, part of the city of Robins and rural areas of Linn County. Marion Independent School District is the smallest of the metros school district serving Marion.
The average composite score for Iowa high school students taking the ACT (American College Testing) examination is 22.0, which ranks Iowa second in the nation. The Cedar Rapids average composite score is even higher at 23.5.
Post Secondary
The Cedar Rapids area has three private liberal arts colleges. Coe College and Mount Mercy College, located in Cedar Rapids, are four-year educational institutions. Coe College enrolls approximately 1,325 students annually from 38 states and over 20 foreign countries. Coe offers 39 different majors. Mount Mercy enrolls over 1,400 students every year from all over the world. Mount Mercy offers 36 different majors. Cornell College, located 15 miles east of Cedar Rapids, is a four-year college with an annual enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. Cornell offers 45 different programs and majors.
Kirkwood Community College, located in Cedar Rapids, is a comprehensive community college that provides vocational/technical, arts and sciences, and adult continuing education programs. More than 150 programs lead to associate degrees in these main areas, 60 vocational and technical, 15 career option programs, 47 associate of arts degrees, and 30 associate of science degrees. Current full-time enrollment at Kirkwood's campus is nearly 14,000 students. In addition, there are thousands of students earning college credit away from the main campus at satellite facilities throughout the seven county region. Kirkwood is nationally recognized and a member of the League for Innovation in the Community College.
St. Ambrose University, located 90 minutes east in Davenport, offers Master of Business Administration classes at Kirkwood. Established in 1977, the MBA program is the largest in Iowa and ranks in the top 25% nationally in student enrollment.
Founded in 1900, Hamilton Business College is the oldest business college in Iowa. Program offerings of one year diplomas to two year associate degree programs are available under the quarter system. Hamilton also offers an accredited bachelors of science degree in management. Class days are designed to ease student workday schedules, with day and evening classes.
Universities
The University of Iowa is located 25 minutes south of Cedar Rapids in Iowa City. The university offers an exceptionally broad range of degree programs -- both on and off campus. It includes The University of Iowa Education & Conference Center located in downtown Cedar Rapids. There are 100 undergraduate degree programs, 110 graduate degree programs and 74 doctorate degree programs available to the nearly 30,000 currently enrolled students. The University of Iowa’s medical, dental, law, pharmacy and business colleges are all nationally recognized.
Iowa State University provides a comprehensive education in all major areas of graduate and undergraduate studies. One hundred and one undergraduate, 110 graduate and 82 doctorate degree programs are available to the 25,000 students currently enrolled at the university. Iowa State University’s engineering, agriculture and veterinary medicine colleges are very well known throughout the United States. The Iowa State campus is located 90 minutes west of Cedar Rapids in Ames.
The University of Northern Iowa, only 45 minutes north of Cedar Rapids, also provides a comprehensive curriculum in undergraduate, graduate and doctorate studies. Currently, 13,926 students are enrolled at the university. University of Northern Iowa’s colleges of business and education are both highly regarded on a national level.