Public + private high schools, every state.
406
high schools (public + private)
354
public (305 districts)
52
private (NCES PSS)
39,072
public grade‑12 students (seniors, latest year)

IA public HS enrollment trend

Across the 22,225 students enrolled in IA brick-and-mortar public high schools in 2021, the state grew +0.9% by 2024 (22,426 students, +201 net). That's the demographic tide every individual school is fighting or riding.

Charter share of public HS enrollment (latest year): 1.3% (289 of 22,426 students). Virtual / nonclassroom-based schools excluded.

🗺️ State context · NAEP 2024

How does IA compare nationally?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only test given the same way to students in every state — making it the benchmark for state-to-state academic comparison. Below, this state's 8th-grade averages and where it sits on the 50-state distribution.

8th-grade math
281
+8 vs national avg (273)
8th-grade reading
265
+5 vs national avg (260)
national avg IA Math → Reading → 260 290 245 275

Each dot is one state's 2024 NAEP 8th-grade averages. IA is highlighted in gold. Dashed lines mark national averages — being upper-right of both = above national in both subjects. Source: NAEP State Snapshot Reports. NAEP doesn't produce per-school scores — this is state-level context.

Where the students are

Top 10 cities by public-HS enrollment

Iowa City 3 HS 3,360
West Des Moines 2 HS 2,330
Pleasant Hill 1 HS 1,722
North Liberty 1 HS 1,286
Indianola 1 HS 1,165
Epworth 1 HS 927
Tiffin 1 HS 800
Denison 1 HS 777
Marion 1 HS 735
Keokuk 1 HS 583

School-size distribution

Public, classroom-based · grades 9–12, latest year

Fastest-growing high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
West Branch High School
West Branch Comm School District
235→273 +16.2%
Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Jr-Sr High School
Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Comm School District
160→184 +15.0%
Lisbon Secondary School
Lisbon Comm School District
189→217 +14.8%
Liberty High School
Iowa City Comm School District
1,145→1,286 +12.3%
Tri-Center High School
Tri-Center Comm School District
202→225 +11.4%
Clear Creek Amana High School
Clear Creek Amana Comm School District
722→800 +10.8%
Maquoketa Valley Senior High School
Maquoketa Valley Comm School District
191→206 +7.9%
Marion High School
Marion Independent School District
681→735 +7.9%
Iowa City High School
Iowa City Comm School District
1,557→1,666 +7.0%
Valley High School
West Des Moines Comm School District
2,048→2,178 +6.3%
Fastest-shrinking high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
Southeast Polk High School
Southeast Polk Comm School District
2,278→1,722 -24.4%
Iowa Valley Jr-Sr High School
Iowa Valley Comm School District
168→142 -15.5%
North Cedar Jr/Sr High School
North Cedar Comm School District
200→170 -15.0%
Highland High School
Highland Comm School District
174→149 -14.4%
Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School
Pekin Comm School District
197→171 -13.2%
West Delaware High School
West Delaware County Comm School District
486→436 -10.3%
Lake Mills Senior High School
Lake Mills Comm School District
214→193 -9.8%
Davis County Community High School
Davis County Comm School District
389→358 -8.0%
Van Buren County Community Middle & High School
Van Buren County Comm School District
240→222 -7.5%
Iowa Falls - Alden High School
Iowa Falls Comm School District
428→398 -7.0%

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