Iowa
This state page integrates student data, economic contributions, state policies, effective practices, and other resources to learn about and better support the state’s undocumented, other immigrant, and international students in higher education.
We classify Iowa as a Limited state in terms of inclusive in-state tuition and state financial aid policies for undocumented students. The Portal tracks state policies for undocumented students on in-state tuition, state financial aid, professional and occupational licensure, and driver licenses.
State Data
Higher education in the U.S. benefits from the participation of immigrant and international students. First and second-generation individuals comprise 31% of all students enrolled in higher education, a growing figure that underscores the importance of immigrant-origin students in the classroom and our workforce.
| All Students in Higher Education in Iowa | 174,912 |
| First-Generation Immigrant Students | 9,108 |
| Second-Generation Immigrant Students | 12,014 |
| International Students | 9,436 |
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Note: First-generation immigrants were born abroad and immigrated to the U.S. Second-generation immigrants are U.S.-born individuals with at least one immigrant parent. First-generation immigrants include undocumented immigrants. First-generation immigrants do not include international students on a visa. |
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The U.S. is home to more than 510,000 undocumented students enrolled in higher education. In their pursuit of higher education, undocumented students actively ready themselves to fill critical skill shortages and become better positioned to support their families, communities, and the U.S. economy.
| Share of All Students in Higher Education Who Are Undocumented | 1.6% |
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Note: Undocumented students are a sub-group of first-generation students. |
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International students comprise only 5.9 percent of all students in higher education, but provide significant economic, academic and cultural contributions that enrich learning, enrollment and funding opportunities for American students. The topline enrollment number is based on October 2025 data from SEVIS.
| International Students in Higher Education | 9,436 |
| Economic Contributions of International Students in the State | $266.5 million |
| Jobs Supported by International Students in the State | 1,844 |
| OPT Participants from State's Institutions (2024) | 1,305 |
| Annual OPT Retention Rate (2022) | 26.55% |
| Retention rate range, 2008-2022 (highest and lowest) | 26.5-42.3% |
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Note: Optional Practical Training participants are a subgroup of international students. |
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Immigrant residents, including undocumented immigrants and DACA-eligible residents, play an important role in the state's economy, contributing spending power and paying federal, state, and local taxes.
| All Immigrant Residents in Iowa | 187,254 |
| Immigrant Share of Total Population | 5.8% |
| Undocumented Immigrants in State | 58,868 |
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Note: DACA-eligible residents are a sub-group of undocumented immigrant residents. |
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Higher education helps prepare all students, including immigrant and international students, to fill critical career and skills needs.
| State Immigrant Workers Fill Critical Skills Needs | |
| Share of STEM Workers Who Are First-Generation Immigrants | 11.10% |
| First-Generation Immigrant Faculty and Staff in Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools | 8,156 |
| Share of First-Generation Immigrants With a Postsecondary Credential | 12% |
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Note: First-generation immigrants were born abroad and immigrated to the U.S. |
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You can find additional state data, including by congressional district, in the following resources by immigrant population (AIC) and international students (NAFSA).
State Policies
Evaluating Access for Undocumented & Refugee Students
State policies in four key areas – in state tuition, state financial aid, professional and occupational licensure, and driver licenses – play an important role in expanding access to higher education and workforce development for undocumented students. The section below on in-state tuition also includes policies related to refugee students.
In-State Tuition & State Financial Aid Access and Affordability
Limited: Policies provide the state’s undocumented students, including DACA recipients, with access to in-state or reduced tuition in at least some public institutions.
Professional & Occupational Licensure Workforce Entry & Eligibility
No State Policy: No policies identified that actively expand access to occupational licensure for individuals who do not have legal immigration status.
Driver Licenses & Identification Mobility
Restrictive: Policies do not provide the state's undocumented residents with access to driver licenses and state identification, but DACA recipients can still obtain a driver's license or state identification card.
Enacted Policies
Undocumented residents, including DACA recipients, can access in-state tuition in at least one community college in Iowa.
Iowa does not provide undocumented residents with access to state financial aid, occupational and professional licensure or driver licenses and state identification.
Iowa does not appear to have statewide policies that expand access to in-state tuition to the state’s undocumented students.
The Iowa State Board of Regents guidelines allow the state’s public institutions to extend in-state tuition to individuals with “an immigrant status,” potentially allowing the state’s DACA recipients to pay in-state tuition if they meet the other residency requirements.
Undocumented students are eligible to pay in-state tuition at the North Iowa Area Community College. To qualify, students must attend and graduate from an Iowa high school, submit an official high school transcript providing evidence of high school attendance, and live in Iowa for the preceding 90 days.
Refugee In-State Tuition: The Iowa State Administrative Rules Section ARC 2021C provides: “A student who is a refugee or who is granted asylum by an appropriate agency of the United States must provide proof of certification of refugee or asylum grantee status. A student may be accorded resident status for admission and tuition purposes when the student comes directly, or within a reasonable time, to the state of Iowa from a refugee facility or port of debarkation and has not established domicile in another state.
Iowa does not appear to have policies regarding access to state financial aid for undocumented students.
Iowa does not appear to have legislation that affirmatively extends occupational and professional licensure to undocumented individuals, including DACA recipients.
Iowa Professional Licensure Requirements & Business Registration
To learn more about professional/occupational licensure requirements, review TheDream.US & Immigrant Finance Resource guide here.
To learn more about state business and tax registration requirements, review TheDream.US & Immigrant Finance Resource guide here.
The information in these guides is based on outreach to the state’s specific licensing boards and each state’s business and tax agencies from April to July 2023 and is subject to change. To get up to date information on requirements, individuals should verify with the appropriate state agency.
Policies do not provide the state’s undocumented residents with access to driver licenses and state identification, but DACA recipients can still obtain a driver’s license or state identification card.
Undocumented immigrants in Iowa do not have access to a driver license or state identification card.
Effective Practices and State Resources
Spotlight on effective practices and policy, research, or community-based state resources.
Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Higher Education (Updated September 2024)
This report analyzes the impact of immigrant-origin students on the higher education sector. Immigrant-origin students include first-generation immigrants born abroad and second-generation immigrants, U.S.-born children with one or more immigrant parents. These students are integral to the mission of higher education and to the future of our national economy. Immigrant-origin students drive enrollment growth on campuses, help power the future-trained workforce and economy, increase diversity, and strengthen U.S. national security.
Continue ReadingReport: Higher Education and Success for Undocumented Students Start with 9 Key Criteria
Higher Education is the key to achieving social & economic mobility in the U.S. The Education Trust analyzed 9 criteria in the 15 states with the largest shares of undocumented college students to determine whether state policies are helping or hurting undocumented students’ ability to access & complete college.
Continue ReadingHigher Ed Guide to Tuition, Financial Aid, & Other Funding Opportunities for Undocumented Students
An overview of in-state tuition, state aid, and other funding opportunities for undocumented students.
Continue Reading