Supporting a strong teacher pipeline through recruitment, development and retention is a top education priority for Iowa. Over the past 12 years, the total number of teachers in Iowa increased by 10% with over 98% of teaching vacancies filled in the 2024-25 school year.
Each year, states are able to identify and report to the U.S. Department of Education up to 5% of their Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) positions as shortage areas. Data used to calculate shortages are collected from public and nonpublic schools in the Fall Basic Education Data Survey (BEDS).
Because the percent of full-time teaching vacancies across the state was under the 5% federal threshold, Iowa was able to designate all 28 areas with any reported vacancy as a teacher shortage area for the 2025-26 school year, even if the shortage was only one reported position.
Iowaβs total teacher shortage areas have been well under 5 percent the last several years, with the latest report showing Iowa at 1.74 percent, well under that of the nation. Nationally, 3 percent of all public school teaching positions were vacant during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
By reporting all possible shortage areas, teachers serving in these identified areas may be eligible for student loan repayment, forgiveness and other incentives available through state and federal programs. More information about these programs is available on the Loan Repayment & Income Bonus Programs webpage.
2025-26 Iowa Teacher Shortage Areas
Note: The percentage of total FTEs represents the reported unfilled positions as a percentage of all full-time teaching positions in the state.
| Endorsement Title | Endorsement Number | Number/ Percentage of Total FTEs |
|---|---|---|
| Special Education - All Exceptionalities | 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267 | 221/0.58% |
| General Science | 150, 1541, 185, 1823 | 76/0.20% |
| English Language Arts | 119, 120, 1201, 1821 | 39/0.10% |
| Mathematics | 142, 143, 1431, 1822 | 36/0.09% |
| Music | 144, 145 | 35/0.09% |
| Elementary Education | 102 | 28/0.07% |
| World Languages | 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 187, 188 | 30/0.08% |
| English as a Second Language | 104 | 26/0.07% |
| Art | 113. 114 | 18/0.05% |
| Industrial Technology | 140 | 18/0.05% |
| At-Risk* | 18/0.05% | |
| Gifted Education | 107 | 14/0.04% |
| School Counseling | 172, 173 | 12/0.03% |
| Science - Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space, Physics | 151, 152, 153, 156 | 12/0.03% |
| Family and Consumer Science | 139 | 11/0.03% |
| Business Education | 1171 | 9/0.02% |
| Reading | 148, 149, 176 | 9/0.02% |
| Physical Education | 146, 147 | 8/0.02% |
| Social Sciences | 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 1824, 186, 1861 | 8/0.02% |
| Library/Media Specialist | 108, 109, 174 | 7/0.02% |
| Early Childhood β Birth through Kindergarten | 1001, 103 | 6/0.02% |
| Agriculture Science and Technology | 112 | 5/0.001% |
| Health | 137, 138 | 5/0.001% |
| Career and Technical Education | 279 | 4/0.01% |
| School Social Worker* | 240 | 3/0.01% |
| Hearing Impairment | 266 | 1/0.00% |
| Computer Science | 277, 278, 279, 2781 | 1/0.00% |
| School Nurse* | 175 | 1/0.00% |
| Total | N/A | 661/1.74% |
* not eligible for Teach Iowa Scholar program