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(Iowa) -- Enrollment in Iowa schools is down slightly this year.
The Iowa Department of Education says the total fall 2025 certified enrollment in Iowa public schools and public charter schools, which accounts for roughly 92% of the state's total certified enrollment, dropped 1.53% since last year. Certified enrollment in Iowa public schools and accredited non-public schools in 2025 fell to 515,221 students from last year's 520,021. State projections showed a downward trend in enrollment starting in the 2023-2024 school year.
The decrease follows an ongoing national trend in declining K-12 enrollment, driven largely by lower birth rates and more students being held back from advancing to the next grade. The National Center for Education Statistics is projecting a nearly 5% decrease in enrollment, or roughly 2.7 million fewer enrolled students, nationally by 2031.
More information is available at the Iowa Department of Education's website.