Classifications: FOOTBALL

School enrollment numbers from each year inform the following school year’s classifications for IHSAA sanctioned sports. For football only, these numbers are used for two-year cycles. Enrollment numbers are provided by the Basic Educational Data Survey (BEDS) from the Iowa Department of Education. Whole grade and cooperative sharing agreements listed as available. To view other sports or overall BEDS numbers, view the Classifications page.

New for football since 2023 is a formula for free and reduced lunch percentages and school enrollments to determine new final classification numbers. This change to the IHSAA’s Articles of Incorporation was approved by the Board of Control, a vote of the IHSAA’s member schools, and the Iowa State Board of Education. The classification adjustment will reduce 40 percent of a school’s free or reduced lunch (FRL) count from their annual enrollment to determine their final classification number.

Football: Seven classes.

5A: Largest 36 schools.

4A: Next largest 36 schools.

3A: Next largest 36 schools.

2A: Next largest 48 schools.

1A: Next largest 48 schools.

A: Remaining 11-player schools.

8P: Schools with classification numbers under 105. Schools granted enrollment exemptions from previous cycle marked with * below.

CatchDSM

Latest update: February 28, 2025

#ClassSchoolTotal CNTotal BEDS
15AJohnston1631.701792
25AValley, West Des Moines1623.972236
35ADes Moines, Roosevelt1617.562161
45ALinn-Mar, Marion1535.931692
55AWaukee Northwest1524.641599
65ASoutheast Polk1522.331757
75AAnkeny Centennial1411.091511
85AAnkeny1378.681506
95AWaukee1300.361432
105ACedar Falls1240.421349
115APleasant Valley1216.231273
125ADes Moines, Lincoln1185.261692
135APrairie, Cedar Rapids1183.091349
145ABettendorf1055.321182
155AWaterloo, West1054.321381
165ACedar Rapids, Kennedy1052.961230
175AIowa City, City High1050.201262
185ADowling Catholic, West Des Moines978.811071
195ADes Moines, East978.231425
205AIowa City, West965.721138
215AAmes947.481076
225ADubuque, Senior931.471128
235ASioux City, East930.231172
245ADubuque, Hempstead899.271081
255AIowa City, Liberty899.03996
265ASioux City, North897.921202
275AOttumwa896.191065
285ACedar Rapids, Jefferson890.681175
295AMarshalltown881.301242
305AMuscatine867.341047
315AUrbandale837.48980
325AIndianola813.48900
335ACouncil Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln813.31997
345ADavenport, Central772.59962
355ADallas Center-Grimes758.83817
365ANorwalk752.71801
374ANorth Scott, Eldridge744.74816
384ADavenport, West743.10950
394ACedar Rapids, Washington697.48893
404ALewis Central687.95792
414ADes Moines, North672.121012
424ADavenport, North670.40846
434ACouncil Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson669.15857
444AClinton668.87815
454AWestern Dubuque663.47718
464AMason City632.69759
474AFort Dodge632.61784
484ASioux City, West611.47959
494AWaterloo, East603.65842
504ABondurant-Farrar599.78653
514ABurlington580.68723
524APella573.42609
534ANewton541.54654
544AClear Creek-Amana538.41607
554AMarion537.59598
564AWaverly-Shell Rock530.33574
574ACarlisle519.50573
584AStorm Lake519.06699
594AXavier, Cedar Rapids470.86489
604ALeMars470.04532
614AADM, Adel460.64499
624ABoone451.80515
634ANorth Polk, Alleman447.86467
644ADenison-Schleswig435.91587
654ASpencer424.86519
664AOskaloosa415.26490
674ABallard411.09438
684AGilbert382.09391
694ADecorah378.47413
704AGlenwood373.45438
714ASergeant Bluff-Luton361.84404
724AGrinnell356.36408
733AWilliamsburg355.92389
743AMount Pleasant355.70423
753ASolon355.43366
763ABishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City355.09402
773AWinterset354.73399
783AAssumption, Davenport348.00348
793ACentral DeWitt344.87386
803AMOC-Floyd Valley341.69373
813ADes Moines Christian341.00341
823AKeokuk337.23421
833ASioux Center332.95406
843AWahlert Catholic332.43346
853ABenton Community328.02357
863AHarlan Community327.67370
873AIndependence324.34363
883AWebster City323.40385
893AMount Vernon322.06340
903AFort Madison320.19397
913AKnoxville320.00377
923ANevada318.47373
933APerry313.64401
943ACarroll313.51359
953AClear Lake313.24351
963ACenter Point-Urbana308.92328
973AHumboldt300.72342
983AAtlantic297.02349
993ACreston294.65358
1003AWest Delaware, Manchester293.40326
1013AFairfield289.85340
1023AAlgona283.87332
1033AMaquoketa283.62360
1043ASaydel279.97355
1053AWashington279.48330
1063AGreene County277.05331
1073ACharles City275.10335
1083AIowa Falls-Alden267.91305
1092AWest Burlington261.56293
1102AHampton-Dumont-CAL260.87321
1112AVinton-Shellsburg259.02323
1122ASpirit Lake257.03282
1132AWest Liberty256.90310
1142AWaukon256.04298
1152ASouth Tama County, Tama253.21326
1162AUnity Christian, Orange City252.74266
1172ACenterville252.38318
1182AAnamosa251.75287
1192AClarke Community High School248.86315
1202APCM, Monroe245.21266
1212AOkoboji, Milford242.56274
1222AMid-Prairie, Wellman242.49275
1232ACherokee, Washington240.37286
1242ASheldon235.37271
1252ABoyden-Hull/Rock Valley234.31300
1262ACentral Lee, Donnellson231.00267
1272ACentral Lyon/George-Little Rock229.74258
1282AVan Meter226.37235
1292AClarinda226.05260
1302ADavis County, Bloomfield222.11264
1312AWestern Christian, Hull222.00222
1322AAlbia220.72253
1332ARoland-Story, Story City219.03236
1342ACrestwood, Cresco218.95266
1352AEstherville Lincoln Central215.91266
1362AAlburnett215.33222
1372APella Christian215.07229
1382AChariton212.04272
1392AKuemper Catholic, Carroll210.36221
1402AMediapolis208.80234
1412AOelwein208.31251
1422ANorth Fayette Valley206.34242
1432AForest City205.32235
1442AMonticello205.04234
1452AWilton203.70222
1462ATipton200.86226
1472AOABCIG200.04238
1482ASoutheast Valley, Gowrie199.69246
1492AOsage198.70224
1502ADike-New Hartford196.95220
1512ADenver196.93208
1522ANew Hampton196.42231
1532AWoodward-Granger196.25214
1542ABellevue192.57208
1552AWest Branch192.46209
1562AGrand View Christian School192.00192
1571AWest Marshall, State Center191.70213
1581AUnion, LaPorte City190.73211
1591AEagle Grove190.12243
1601AGarner Hayfield Ventura189.31219
1611AShenandoah189.28231
1621AInterstate 35, Truro188.53204
1631ACamanche186.96221
1641AMissouri Valley185.34222
1651ATreynor183.94195
1661ARed Oak180.33220
1671AWest Lyon, Inwood180.28200
1681ARegina, Iowa City180.14188
1691AJesup179.22193
1701AEddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont176.72208
1711ASigourney/Keota175.97209
1721AMFL MarMac173.61198
1731ANortheast, Goose Lake173.30197
1741AClarion-Goldfield-Dows172.56217
1751AUnderwood171.86188
1761ACascade, Western Dubuque170.08186
1771AHinton168.51175
1781AWest Central Valley, Stuart164.76197
1791AAplington-Parkersburg164.51179
1801AOgden164.01179
1811ACardinal, Eldon163.63208
1821AMVAOCOU163.20192
1831AColumbus Catholic, Waterloo162.21188
1841ABeckman Catholic, Dyersville160.40170
1851ADurant158.71177
1861AGrundy Center158.44182
1871ARidge View158.09185
1881APocahontas Area157.73200
1891ACentral Springs153.61182
1901ASumner-Fredericksburg153.38174
1911APleasantville153.13175
1921AHudson152.93170
1931ASouth Hardin152.51182
1941APanorama, Panora152.49174
1951AEmmetsburg151.34178
1961AManson Northwest Webster150.78171
1971ALouisa-Muscatine150.11179
1981ASouth Central Calhoun149.81179
1991ATri-Center, Neola148.57169
2001AAlta-Aurelia147.48171
2011ALisbon147.28159
2021ALawton-Bronson146.79162
2031ASouth Hamilton, Jewell146.22163
2041AEast Sac County145.61176
205AWapsie Valley, Fairbank142.15151
206ANodaway Valley141.76167
207AMMCRU141.37160
208AMaquoketa Valley, Delhi141.24162
209AWest Sioux, Hawarden140.72177
210ALogan-Magnolia139.24156
211ARiverside, Oakland138.66159
212ASioux Central, Sioux Rapids138.54171
213AMadrid138.00149
214AEarlham136.73146
215ASouth Winneshiek, Calmar135.07150
216AColfax-Mingo134.69156
217ANashua-Plainfield134.64151
218AACGC133.91146
219AMount Ayr133.59162
220AEast Marshall, LeGrand133.28154
221AAHSTW, Avoca130.39150
222AHartley-Melvin-Sanborn130.24163
223ADanville129.45149
224AVan Buren County129.31162
225AColumbus Community, Columbus Junction127.80165
226ASouthwest Valley126.69149
227ABelmond-Klemme126.57159
228AWest Fork, Sheffield125.91144
229ASibley-Ocheyedan125.11155
230ASt. Albert, Council Bluffs124.77135
231AWoodbury Central, Moville124.35138
232ACentral Decatur, Leon122.89160
233AWest Monona, Onawa122.39149
234AAkron-Westfield122.17132
235AWestwood, Sloan121.80143
236ANorth Butler, Greene121.47134
237AB-G-M, Brooklyn121.43140
238AIKM-Manning121.00136
239APostville119.96176
2408PWoodbine*119.44135
241ALynnville-Sully119.21131
242AWapello117.30139
243ALake Mills116.83136
244ANorth Mahaska, New Sharon115.96127
245AEast Buchanan, Winthrop114.70136
246APekin114.47135
247AAGWSR, Ackley114.42139
248ASaint Ansgar114.16126
249ANorth Cedar, Stanwood113.47137
250AWest Hancock, Britt111.65125
251ASouth O’Brien, Paullina109.36122
252AClayton Ridge, Guttenberg108.81125
2538PWACO, Wayland*108.25126
254ANorth Linn, Troy Mills108.15120
255ANewman Catholic, Mason City107.19117
256AMidland, Wyoming106.62127
257ABCLUW, Conrad106.40125
258AMartensdale-St Marys106.18119
2598PSt. Edmond, Fort Dodge105.00112
2608PWayne, Corydon104.50133
2618PNorth Union102.06125
262AGehlen Catholic, LeMars101.90109
263ANew London101.66120
2648PAudubon101.32113
265AStarmont99.49124
2668PIowa Valley, Marengo98.23110
2678PH-L-V, Victor97.91116
2688PKingsley-Pierson97.77111
2698PGraettinger-Terril97.10116
2708PSoutheast Warren, Liberty Center96.09106
271AHighland, Riverside95.98105
2728PCalamus-Wheatland95.40106
2738PBishop Garrigan, Algona94.76103
2748PBaxter94.48108
2758PLenox93.87119
2768PFremont-Mills, Tabor93.02106
2778PNorthwood-Kensett91.84105
2788PEast Mills90.77102
2798PNewell-Fonda90.39105
2808PEdgewood-Colesburg89.83104
2818PBoyer Valley, Dunlap89.32107
2828PEnglish Valleys, North English88.76105
2838PJanesville88.4392
2848PCoon Rapids-Bayard87.64100
2858PMontezuma86.86100
2868PSpringville84.4594
2878PGladbrook-Reinbeck83.6298
2888PCAM, Anita83.0097
2898PStanton/Essex82.3392
2908PCentral, Elkader82.2495
2918PWaterloo Christian School82.0082
2928PBelle Plaine81.3295
2938PDon Bosco, Gilbertville81.2084
2948PNorth Iowa, Buffalo Center80.9197
2958PEaston Valley80.3895
2968PTurkey Valley, Jackson Junction80.3396
2978PNorth Tama, Traer79.0995
2988PEast Union, Afton77.91101
2998PSidney77.6295
3008PMoravia76.9891
3018PMelcher-Dallas76.9387
3028PWest Bend-Mallard75.3189
3038PGMG, Garwin75.0095
3048PDunkerton73.8984
3058PBedford73.5188
3068PRiceville72.6184
3078PCollins-Maxwell72.5884
3088PWinfield-Mt. Union70.4590
3098PLone Tree69.8179
3108PGriswold69.4478
3118PGlidden-Ralston66.6976
3128PColo-NESCO66.3576
3138PExira-EHK66.0478
3148PHarris-Lake Park65.2975
3158PSiouxland Christian65.1573
3168PTripoli64.7276
3178PCentral City62.3473
3188PRockford61.4777
3198PWest Central, Maynard60.1777
3208PTwin Cedars, Bussey58.7571
3218PMeskwaki Settlement School56.0056
3228PClarksville55.5563
3238PMurray54.5564
3248PKee, Lansing50.3162
3258PLamoni49.6859
3268PSeymour43.8456
3278PAr-We-Va, Westside41.2751
3288PMormon Trail36.9949
3298PSt. Mary’s, Remsen30.4232