UNI study highlights $11+ million in financial benefit from student teaching in Iowa’s rural communities

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - A University of Northern Iowa study quantifies the significant financial benefit of student teachers placed in classrooms across rural communities throughout the state.

The study found that UNI student teachers contributed an estimated $11.76 million in financial benefit over a four-year period, from fall 2020 through fall 2024.

"We challenged ourselves to think more intentionally about how UNI serves rural Iowa," said Colleen Mulholland, dean of the UNI College of Education. "It became clear that our student teachers are making a real difference statewide, and we wanted to better understand and communicate their impact."

The analysis included UNI student teachers in 1,787 rural classrooms across the state. Researchers developed a formula to estimate financial benefit based on the number and duration of placements and a weekly value assigned to the work performed. The calculation equates to approximately $1.31 million per semester or $2.61 million per academic year.

Valuations were determined through consultation with university faculty and experts in UNI's College of Education, Institute for Decision Making and Wilson College of Business.

"Putting an exact dollar value on the work of student teachers is difficult," said College of Education professor Nicole Skaar, who guided the study. "Although they are still teachers in training, they contribute meaningfully to classroom instruction and create valuable space for licensed teachers to focus on essential educational work."

Student teachers often serve in rural and underserved school districts, where their presence helps support classroom instruction, reduce workload for full-time teachers and provide continuity for students.

By quantifying this contribution, the study underscores the broader role UNI plays in supporting Iowa's education system and rural vitality.

With 10,000+ active alumni in all 99 counties in Iowa, UNI's impact in teacher education starts while students are in college and continues long after they graduate. Regardless of what teacher ed students study, they can expect to get real classroom experience early and often, resulting in greater confidence and competence upon graduation. These robust field experiences help put UNI in the top 1% of teacher education programs nationwide in terms of number of graduates annually.