Iowa programs

Accredited OT programs in Iowa, compared

Compare every active, primary ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy master's or doctoral program in Iowa. Established and newer programs stay visible, with their NBCOT evidence coverage clearly separated.

3 active primary OT programs2 with five-year outcomes0 with limited outcomes8 total ACOTE directory rows3 OTA rows

Complete active-program comparison

All primary accredited OT programs in Iowa

This table no longer filters Iowa through a national top-results subset. It includes every active, primary accredited OT program in the state. Complete five-year NBCOT histories rank first; limited-history and no-match programs follow in clearly labeled evidence tiers.

3 active primary OT programs comparedSources reviewed August 7, 20262 complete; 0 limited; 1 without a match

3 ranked options

#1of 3 ranked

Rank #1

Drake University

Open profile

NBCOT98% in 2025; 99.2% five-year average

LocationDes Moines, IA

CredentialOT Doctorate

Format1-24% distance

Show ranking detailsHide ranking detailsWhy #1 ranks here + 3 source facts

Why we ranked it here Complete five-year NBCOT outcome match plus accreditation, format, value, and state context. Programs with complete five-year outcomes are ordered before programs with partial or no matched outcomes, so missing evidence is never treated as equivalent evidence.

Who it may suitApplicants comparing established outcome history alongside accreditation, format, and available value context.

Keep in mindOT Doctorate in Des Moines, IA. Complete five-year NBCOT history. Confirm cohort size, first-time versus total pass-rate definitions, tuition and fees, fieldwork sites, admissions requirements, and campus attendance directly with the program.

Evidence tier: Complete five-year NBCOT history
ACOTE status: Accreditation
ACOTE review: 2025/2026

#2of 3 ranked

Rank #2

St. Ambrose University

Open profile

NBCOT92% in 2025; 94.4% five-year average

LocationDavenport, IA

CredentialOT Doctorate

Format1-24% distance

Show ranking detailsHide ranking detailsWhy #2 ranks here + 3 source facts

Who it may suitApplicants comparing established outcome history alongside accreditation, format, and available value context.

Keep in mindOT Doctorate in Davenport, IA. Complete five-year NBCOT history. Confirm cohort size, first-time versus total pass-rate definitions, tuition and fees, fieldwork sites, admissions requirements, and campus attendance directly with the program.

Evidence tier: Complete five-year NBCOT history
ACOTE status: Accreditation
ACOTE review: 2034/2035

#3of 3 ranked

Rank #3

Des Moines University

Open profile

NBCOTNo matched NBCOT outcome yet

LocationDes Moines, IA

CredentialOT Doctorate

FormatFormat not listed

Show ranking detailsHide ranking detailsWhy #3 ranks here + 3 source facts

Why we ranked it here ACOTE profile scored with accreditation status, review timing, format clarity, value match, and source-confidence context. Programs with complete five-year outcomes are ordered before programs with partial or no matched outcomes, so missing evidence is never treated as equivalent evidence.

Who it may suitApplicants willing to evaluate a newer or less-completely matched program directly with the school.

Keep in mindOT Doctorate in Des Moines, IA. No matched NBCOT outcome yet. Confirm cohort size, first-time versus total pass-rate definitions, tuition and fees, fieldwork sites, admissions requirements, and campus attendance directly with the program.

Evidence tier: No matched NBCOT outcome yet
ACOTE status: Accreditation
ACOTE review: 2032/2033

See the national ranking Read the ranking method

Verification list

Other ACOTE-listed pathways in the state

These records are real directory entries, but they are outside the active primary OT comparison for a specific reason: OTA level, applicant or candidacy status, inactive status, or an additional location of a primary program.

Program	Status	Degree and format	Why it is separate
Allen College Waterloo, IA	Candidacy	OT Doctorate Format not listed	ACOTE status is Candidacy; listed separately from active ranked OT pathways.
Allen College Waterloo, IA	Accreditation-Inactive	OT Masters Campus-based	ACOTE status is Accreditation-Inactive; listed separately from active ranked OT pathways.
Hawkeye Community College Waterloo, IA	Accreditation	OTA Associate 50-74% distance	OTA pathway; ranked in OTA-focused comparisons rather than the OT master's and doctoral table.
Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa, IA	Accreditation	OTA Associate 1-24% distance	OTA pathway; ranked in OTA-focused comparisons rather than the OT master's and doctoral table.
Kirkwood Community College-Linn County Regional Center Hiawatha, IA	Accreditation	OTA Associate 1-24% distance	OTA pathway; ranked in OTA-focused comparisons rather than the OT master's and doctoral table.

Program directory

Complete Iowa ACOTE directory

Every current ACOTE directory row is shown here, including OT, OTA, pipeline, inactive, and additional-location records. Accreditation status is displayed explicitly so directory presence is never mistaken for active accreditation.

Program	Location	Degree	ACOTE status	NBCOT	Format and review
Allen College Private Nonprofit	Waterloo, IA	OT Masters	Accreditation-Inactive	100%	Campus-based Next review: 2030/2031
Indian Hills Community College Public	Ottumwa, IA	OTA Associate	Accreditation	100%	1-24% distance Next review: 2028/2029
Drake University Private Nonprofit	Des Moines, IA	OT Doctorate	Accreditation	98%	1-24% distance Next review: 2025/2026
St. Ambrose University Private Nonprofit	Davenport, IA	OT Doctorate	Accreditation	92%	1-24% distance Next review: 2034/2035
Kirkwood Community College-Linn County Regional Center Public	Hiawatha, IA	OTA Associate	Accreditation	88%	1-24% distance Next review: 2033/2034
Hawkeye Community College Public	Waterloo, IA	OTA Associate	Accreditation	67%	50-74% distance Next review: 2031/2032
Allen College Private Nonprofit	Waterloo, IA	OT Doctorate	Candidacy	NBCOT outcome unavailable	Format not listed Next review: 2027/2028
Des Moines University Private Nonprofit	Des Moines, IA	OT Doctorate	Accreditation	NBCOT outcome unavailable	Format not listed Next review: 2032/2033

Open all Iowa rows

Local markets

Metro context for the state

Metro wage and employment rows help applicants separate statewide reputation from local job conditions.

Metro	Mean wage	Employment	Concentration
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metro rank #238; score 36.0	$94,360	170	0.90 LQ; 0.94 per 1,000 jobs
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Metro rank #265; score 33.8	$87,030	340	0.80 LQ; 0.84 per 1,000 jobs
Iowa City, IA Metro rank #270; score 33.4	$89,330	100	1.05 LQ; 1.09 per 1,000 jobs
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Metro rank #297; score 31.5	$92,850	80	0.86 LQ; 0.90 per 1,000 jobs
Cedar Rapids, IA Metro rank #304; score 30.5	$91,920	110	0.73 LQ; 0.76 per 1,000 jobs
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Metro rank #345; score 25.7	$90,240	50	0.69 LQ; 0.72 per 1,000 jobs
Dubuque, IA Metro rank #354; score 23.3	$93,160	30	0.57 LQ; 0.60 per 1,000 jobs
Ames, IA Metro rank #363; score 18.6	$77,820	40	0.70 LQ; 0.73 per 1,000 jobs