Find Trade Colleges
2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 14 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
Top Trade Associate Degree Schools in Iowa
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Waldorf University the best school in Iowa for trade school students working on their associate degree. This small private for-profit school is located in Forest City, Iowa, and it awarded 116 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Waldorf is $24,526. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,988 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Waldorf does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwest Iowa Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Northwest Iowa Community College is a small public school located in Sheldon, Iowa that handed out 211 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Northwest Iowa Community College is $6,870. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,170. Associate Degree recipients from Northwest Iowa Community College accumulate an average of $11,532 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Northwest Iowa Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 66% took at least some of their classes online.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Hawkeye Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. Hawkeye Community College is a small public school situated in Waterloo, Iowa. It awarded 596 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Iowa pay an average of $6,090 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Hawkeye Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,583. Associate Degree recipients from Hawkeye Community College accumulate an average of $17,358 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Hawkeye Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 44% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Out of the 14 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeast Iowa Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in Calmar, Iowa, the small public school awarded 368 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend NICC full time pay an average of $6,270 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,990.
One thing to take note of is that NICC does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 43% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Kirkwood Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,628 students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Kirkwood Community College is $5,700. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $7,604. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,030 in student loans.
Kirkwood Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 59% took at least some of their classes online.
Des Moines Area Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. DMACC is a large public school situated in Ankeny, Iowa. It awarded 2,010 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from DMACC accumulate an average of $12,641 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since DMACC does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 50% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Iowa Central Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and it awarded 812 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Iowa pay an average of $5,196 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Iowa Central Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,398. On average, associate degree students take out $18,497 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Iowa Central Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 26% took at least some of their classes online.
Southeastern Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. This small public school is located in West Burlington, Iowa, and it awarded 388 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $6,210 in tuition and fees if they attend Southeastern Community College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,360. On average, associate degree students take out $14,369 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Southeastern Community College. In fact, around 55% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Indian Hills Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, the small public school awarded 528 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,730 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at IHCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 36% took at least some of their classes online.
Iowa Western Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Iowa Western Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Council Bluffs, Iowa that handed out 797 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Iowa pay an average of $6,540 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Iowa Western Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,690. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,474 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Iowa Western Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 63% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Eastern Iowa Community College District landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is located in Davenport, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 823 associate degrees to qualified students.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,472 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 44% took at least some of their classes online.
North Iowa Area Community College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. North Iowa Area Community College is a public institution located in Mason City, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 511 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Iowa pay an average of $6,196 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend North Iowa Area Community College. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,884. On average, associate degree students take out $11,718 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that North Iowa Area Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 83% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #13 on the list. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public institution located in Sioux City, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 479 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Iowa pay an average of $4,922 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Western Iowa Tech Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $4,946. Associate Degree recipients from Western Iowa Tech Community College accumulate an average of $14,028 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Western Iowa Tech Community College. In 2020-2021 about 78% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #14, Marshalltown Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Marshalltown, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 206 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend Marshalltown Community College full time pay an average of $5,184 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,688. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,363 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Marshalltown Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 67% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
View Best Trade Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 14 schools only.
References
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.