I love my home state. I love the “Midwest nice” and the charming character of one-stoplight towns. I love fair food on a scorching August day, and I love the only home I have ever lived in. For most of my peers, Iowa was a childhood pitstop — eagerly tallying the days until we could toss our caps. But I was the outlier. I always believed that Iowa would be a part of my adult life in some capacity. However, over the past few years, my image of this great state has become increasingly disfigured to the point where I cannot see the beauty and promise I once did.
During the college admissions process, I had the difficult decision of deciding where I would begin my adult life. I applied to many schools throughout the Midwest. One of them was a promising option in Iowa that could provide the academic rigor and law school preparation I was seeking. However, after reflecting on my morals and the restrictive environment Iowa has cultivated, I chose to attend Saint Louis University. I know I made the right choice.
In the past years, Iowans have overwhelmingly supported policies targeted at transgender students. Additionally, all but five of Iowa’s 99 counties elected Trump, a president who aims to dismantle birthright citizenship, which is the same way my closest friends secured an Iowan future. I witnessed first-hand how the state government posed dangerous cuts in school funding and redirected public money toward private school vouchers. I will not return to my home state post-graduation, and I am not alone.
A 2022 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that 34% more college graduates left Iowa than entered: over double the national average. Handshake, a leading career search platform widely partnered with Iowa colleges, reported that just 9% of job applications submitted by graduates in Iowa were for in-state openings.
But why should Iowa care about the exodus of educated individuals? Simple. The future of Iowa is endangered without them. Iowa ranks at 44 in the nation in active physicians per capita, 37 for nurses, 50 for business creation rate, 39 for engineers and 44 for lawyers. If this trend continues, Iowa could face major economic disruptions.
According to the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, college degree-holders pay an average of $510,000 in taxes throughout their lifetime, $273,000 more than the average for non-college-educated citizens. College graduates also pay $381,000 more in taxes than the value of the government services they will utilize during their lives; those with high school degrees contribute just $26,000 more. The list goes on: higher philanthropic activity, less burden on the healthcare system, less government expenditures, higher voter turnout and more entry-level jobs.
When education students picture their careers, it is not in underfunded schools in underpaid positions. It is not in classrooms threatened with book bans and proposed climate change censorship, and it is certainly not in an education system that has dropped to 24th in the nation when, thirty years ago, it was in the top five.
When young doctors and nurses picture their futures, it is not in Iowa where statewide abortion bans threaten bodily autonomy. It is not in a state where the privatization of Medicaid has led to the denial of essential care and an overwhelming financial burden on providers.
When young entrepreneurs choose a landing point; it is not in a state with the 33rd worst business tax climate and the 9th highest individual income tax. It is not hard to see why more and more graduates leave and never look back.
When entering my home state, I am guaranteed to see a billboard displaying “Iowa: The Fields of Opportunity.” This serves as a bleak reminder of the limited future that life in Iowa holds and the opportunities I no longer see. I have hope for my home state’s future, but this trend will not cease if major political and social change is not made. If Iowa wishes to stay afloat in an ever-changing economy, it must be suitable for an ever-changing workforce.
