Boarding Schools in Iowa

What's Up in Iowa

This page features a list of boarding schools in Iowa (IA), USA.

Iowa is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the east and southeast, Missouri to the south, Nebraska to the west, South Dakota to the northwest, and Minnesota to the north.

Education in Iowa (IA), USA

The Iowa Department of Education oversees K-12 public education private and boarding schools that receive state accreditation, area education agencies (AEAs), community colleges, and teacher preparation programs in the state of Iowa. 

The Iowa Department of Education is composed of ten members that are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the State Senate. The responsibilities of the board include establishing policies for the efficient and effective operation of education in Iowa; adopting rules for the enforcement of school laws; striving for higher levels of learning and achievement for all students; adopting long-range plans for the education system; recommending changes in school laws to the General Assembly; adopting rules for the accrediting public, private, and boarding schools.

The Iowa Department of Education works with the Iowa State Board of Education to provide support, supervision, and oversight for the state education system that includes public elementary and secondary schools, nonpublic schools that receive state accreditation, area education agencies (AEAs), community colleges, boarding schools, and teacher preparation programs.

All students in Iowa are required to learn the Iowa Core Standards, also known as the Iowa Academic Standards. Content areas included in the are English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, 21st Century Skills, and the Universal Constructs.

The Iowa Academic Standards are aimed at preparing students for the rigorous challenges in postsecondary education and careers. They demonstrate priorities about the concepts and skills that are required to learn in the K–12 system. These are the minimal expectations all students are required to know and able to do.

Each local school district in Iowa must offer a complete education in all grades from kindergarten through 12th grade. All state residents are entitled to free public education up to age 21 and state law requires that all students between the ages of 6–16 attend school either in their assigned “resident” district, through open enrollment to another district, or through private instruction (homeschooling).

Elementary schools grades 1–6 must teach language arts, social studies, math, science, health, physical education, traffic safety, music, and visual arts. Junior high grades 7–8 must teach language arts, social studies, math, science, health, human growth and development, physical education, music, visual art, family and consumer education, career education, and technology education. High school grades 9–12 must offer at a minimum six units of language arts, five units of social studies, six units of math, five units of science, one unit of health, one unit of physical education, three units of fine arts, four units of foreign language, and 12 units of vocational education.

Boarding schools are one of the most prestigious and elite ways of getting a high school education. Unlike typical schools, students that attend a boarding school will live, eat, and go to school seven days a week. There are many different benefits to attending a boarding school ranging from the academic work to the discipline that the students receive. However, going to a boarding school means a large financial commitment from the parents and an academic commitment from the students. Along with top academic standards, Iowa has a lot to offer boarding school students. Whether it’s whitewater paddling, exploring caves, ziplining, roller coasters, or long-distance biking, Iowa will appeal to every student’s adventurous side.

What is a Boarding School

A boarding school is unlike any other type of education in the United States simply because the student live and go to school in the same place. A boarding school has a much lower student to teacher ratio and the students are expected to work much harder than in a typical school. In many boarding schools, there are typically far fewer students than a large public school. Some boarding schools are segregated by gender, but there are also many boarding schools that have both males and females. Finally, there are also some boarding schools with a religious affiliation.

Iowa Boarding Schools

In the state of Iowa, there are only two boarding schools. One has a religious affiliation and one does not. The number of students that both boarding schools can take on is less than 100 students total, so admission may be competitive. Both schools run about $29,000 per year for attendance which is more affordable than many other boarding schools across the country.

Paying For Boarding School

Although many parents realize the benefits of their children going to boarding school they wonder how to pay for school. The good news is that many boarding schools offer scholarships and financial aid packages that are available to many students that are in the state of Iowa. At the end of the day, the decision ultimately comes down to the cost of the education versus the value that is going to be received by students.