Can anyone share thoughts and experiences relating to Indiana vs Iowa for elementary education majors? Thanks
Where do you want to start your teaching career? Each state has some certification requirements that are specific to that state, and so are much easier to get there. The hiring networks are also closely linked to where you study.
Are you a resident of either state, IN or IA? Obviously, if you’re, say, an IA resident, U of Iowa would be cheaper (most likely) than IU. As @happymomof1 states, where you earn your degree is often connected to where you’ll land your first job.
That said, both schools are peers. They’re both part of the Big Ten, and they’re both in classic college towns. I’m biased. I grew up in IL and know IA well and love it. I also think that Iowa City is one of the greatest college towns/small cities in America. Education as a major is pretty standard at any university. This may be meaningless, but Iowa has historically had connections to educational testing. When I was a little kid, we had to take “Iowa tests” every year (do these still exist?), which gauged the level of student knowledge at the K-6 levels. I think that one of the major standardized tests (ACT maybe?) is headquartered in Iowa. Maybe this is meaningless, or maybe it means that education majors are treated a bit more seriously?
In general, though, education is a very common degree, and it doesn’t matter that much where you go to study education.
2 very similar schools. I attended both for grad school. One difference is at Iowa you spend a lot of time walking up & down hills. Indiana’s campus is flat, but seemed to be bigger. Also, Iowa has a big medical complex, which would be handy if you have any health issues.
Either way, you are likely to enjoy college !
Love love love University of Iowa. We live in Illinois and my daughter applied to Iowa, UIUC, and Indiana. She got absolutely no money from Illinois or Indiana (just loans), but a stat-guaranteed merit scholarship plus additional financial aid scholarship that made Iowa less expensive than our instate option. I am a teacher in Illinois and have been impressed with our student teachers from U of Iowa, so they must be doing something right!
Plus, as Hapworth said, Iowa City is such a cool town.
Your own state is the place you should begin. Out of state is nearly triple the cost. If you managed to get the financing for it, your debt payments would be far too high relative to your salary. If you want to teach in another state, first get your certification, then they will transfer most of the time to other states.