Education

Ely is located in the College Community School district. Students attend any of the five elementary schools in the Prairie Community School System. Students in middle school and high school attend Prairie Middle School and Prairie High School.

With three private four-year colleges, several universities and technical colleges, and an outstanding two-year community college, advanced education carries a high profile in our education structure. Four-year private colleges nearby such as Coe, Mount Mercy, and Cornell provide outstanding achievements in higher education. The Cedar Rapids campus of Kirkwood College provide a variety of two-year degree programs.

Big Ten academics thrive just 20 miles south of Ely at the University of Iowa, home of the Hawkeyes. The University of Iowa is a major public research university with a long-standing commitment to teaching, research, and service. About 25,000 undergraduates and 9,000 graduate and professional students are enrolled in the University’s 11 colleges. The university also has one of the most extensive arts campuses in the country. Performances and exhibitions by world-class artists, along with year-round conferences, lectures, and Big Ten athletics, attract more than a million visitors to the campus each year.