State Education Outcomes Continue to Slide

Iowa’s Education Ranking Falls Into the Bottom Half of States for First Time

Iowa’s long-standing reputation as a national education leader suffered another setback this year as the state fell to 27th in the nation for education, according to the 2026 Kids Count Data Book.

The ranking marks the first time since the annual report began in 1990 that Iowa has fallen into the lower half of states for educational performance.

The Kids Count report, produced by the Anne E. Casey Foundation, evaluates child well-being across five categories: education, health, economic well-being, family and community, and overall child well-being.

While Iowa continues to perform relatively well overall—ranking 10th nationally in child well-being—the state’s education ranking continues to decline.

Reading, Math, Preschool Participation Decline

Several education indicators contributed to Iowa’s lower ranking. According to the report:

• • 71% of Iowa fourth graders were not proficient in reading in 2024, up from 65% in 2019.
  • 73% of Iowa eighth graders were not proficient in math, compared to 67% in 2019.
  • Preschool participation among Iowa children ages 3 and 4 declined from 53% to 57% not enrolled.
  • On-time high school graduation rates also slipped.

The report found that 13% of Iowa students failed to graduate on time in 2023 and 2024, compared to 8% in 2019. The Iowa Department of Education reported that 88.8% of students in the Class of 2025 graduated on time, meaning more than one in ten students did not.

Debate Over Funding and Resources

Education advocates and state officials disagree about the causes of Iowa’s declining ranking.

Common Good Iowa, a nonpartisan advocacy organization, argues that years of insufficient school funding have made it increasingly difficult for districts to meet student needs. The organization points to staffing challenges, rising costs, and increasing demands on schools as contributing factors.

State leaders counter that education funding has increased each year and note that Iowa recently approved an additional $160 per student for the 2026-27 school year, bringing total K-12 spending to nearly $4 billion.

The Iowa Department of Education also argues that the Kids Count report relies on historical data that does not fully reflect more recent student performance improvements.

Changing Student Needs

Education experts say schools face challenges that extend beyond academics. Drake University literacy professor Jill Johnson noted that schools are serving increasingly diverse student populations with a wider range of educational, economic, and health needs.

She also expressed concern about declining preschool participation, arguing that early childhood education plays an important role in preparing students for success in reading and other subjects. “Families are having to make really hard decisions,” Johnson said, noting that preschool costs can be difficult for many households already struggling with rising living expenses.

Why It Matters

For generations, Iowa’s public schools were viewed as among the nation’s best. While Iowa still performs well in many measures of child well-being, the state’s continued decline in education rankings raises questions about whether that reputation can be maintained.

The report does not suggest Iowa’s schools are failing. But it does indicate that many other states are improving faster.

As Iowa debates school funding, workforce development, school choice programs, higher education policies, and educational priorities, the latest rankings add another data point to a growing discussion about the future of education in the state. And for the first time in the history of the Kids Count report, Iowa finds itself looking up at more than half the states in the nation.