Photo: RifeIdeas · CC BY-SA 3.0Cedar Falls’s public schools outscore 82% of Iowa districts
77% of students in Cedar Falls’s public schools are proficient in math, above the Iowa average (64%). The grade covers the public school district serving Cedar Falls, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Iowa, not nationally.
From Iowa state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Cedar Falls’s schools, in brief
Above the state on both counts
Reading proficiency is 82% and math 77% in spring 2022, against 70% and 64% statewide; 92% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88%. Test scores ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $11,799 per student, against $13,713 across Iowa (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
Seven elementary schools, then two middle and one high school
Which school depends on the address at every step. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
St. Patrick Catholic School (private) and Valley Lutheran School (private) are in town. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Cedar Falls’s grade
A−: better than 82% of Iowa school districts, #28 of 140 Iowa towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Iowa average; test scores are the stronger of the two.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Cedar Falls, with each school’s own grade.
7th grade in Cedar Falls · depends on your address
Peet Junior High School
Grades 7–9 · 695 students · 14:1 students per teacher
Holmes Junior High School
Grades 7–9 · 628 students · 13:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Cedar Falls · depends on your address
Peet Junior High School
Grades 7–9 · 695 students · 14:1 students per teacher
Holmes Junior High School
Grades 7–9 · 628 students · 13:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Cedar Falls · depends on your address
Peet Junior High School
Grades 7–9 · 695 students · 14:1 students per teacher
Holmes Junior High School
Grades 7–9 · 628 students · 13:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls High School
Grades 10–12 · 1,333 students · 14:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls High School
Grades 10–12 · 1,333 students · 14:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls High School
Grades 10–12 · 1,333 students · 14:1 students per teacher
Cedar Falls’s public schools are run by Cedar Falls Community School District. Parts of Cedar Falls (8% and 2% of its land) are served by Waterloo and Hudson instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well above the state in reading
Cedar Falls vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Iowa towns that share Cedar Falls’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Falls | A− | Cedar Falls |
| Waterloo | D− | Waterloo |
| Hudson | A | Hudson |
Every school in Cedar Falls
12 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Iowa’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Questions about Cedar Falls’s schools
Are Cedar Falls’s schools good?
By Iowa’s own tests, yes: the public schools Cedar Falls children attend outscore 82% of Iowa’s school districts on tests and graduation, an A− Schools grade, #28 of 140 Iowa towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 82%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Cedar Falls in?
Cedar Falls Community School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 5,853 students in 10 schools (2024–25). Small parts of Cedar Falls are served by Waterloo and Hudson.
Where do Cedar Falls kids go to high school?
Cedar Falls High School, with 1,333 students; its own test results earn an A−.
What is Cedar Falls’s graduation rate?
92% of the class of 2023 in Cedar Falls Community School District graduated in four years, against 88% across Iowa.
How much does Cedar Falls spend per student?
$11,799 in Cedar Falls Community School District (FY2024), against $13,713 across Iowa. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Cedar Falls?
Yes: St. Patrick Catholic School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 223 students) and Valley Lutheran School (religious, grades K–12, 146 students).
Parents talk
What Cedar Falls families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Cedar Falls → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Iowa. Stars are from neighbors.