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.
Featured schools near , edit
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. Located in Forest City, Iowa, the small private for-profit school handed out 116 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $24,526 to cover tuition and fees at Waldorf. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Associate Degree recipients from Waldorf accumulate an average of $15,988 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Waldorf does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 69% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northwest Iowa Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Northwest Iowa Community College is located in Sheldon, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 211 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Iowa pay an average of $6,870 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Northwest Iowa Community College. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,170. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,532 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Northwest Iowa Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 66% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Hawkeye Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Located in Waterloo, Iowa, the small public school handed out 596 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend Hawkeye Community College full time pay an average of $6,090 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,583. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,358 in student loans.
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. In 2020-2021 about 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Northeast Iowa Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. NICC is a small public school situated in Calmar, Iowa. It awarded 368 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Iowa pay an average of $6,270 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend NICC. Out-of-state students 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.
Out of the 14 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Kirkwood Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the fairly large public school handed out 1,628 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend Kirkwood Community College full time pay an average of $5,700 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,604. Associate Degree recipients from Kirkwood Community College accumulate an average of $16,030 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Kirkwood Community College. In fact, around 59% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #6, Des Moines Area Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. This large public school is located in Ankeny, Iowa, and it awarded 2,010 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $12,641 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at DMACC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 50% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #7, Iowa Central Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. This medium-sized public school is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and it awarded 812 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend Iowa Central Community College full time pay an average of $5,196 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,398. Associate Degree recipients from Iowa Central Community College accumulate an average of $18,497 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Iowa Central Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 26% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
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. Southeastern Community College is a public institution located in West Burlington, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 388 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Southeastern Community College is $6,210. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,360. On average, associate degree students take out $14,369 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Southeastern Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 55% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Indian Hills Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. Indian Hills Community College is a small public school located in Ottumwa, Iowa that handed out 528 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from IHCC accumulate an average of $14,730 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
IHCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 36% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Iowa Western 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 #10 on the list. Iowa Western Community College is a public institution located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 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. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,690. Associate Degree recipients from Iowa Western Community College accumulate an average of $16,474 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Iowa Western Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 63% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
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 a public institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 823 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,472 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. During the 2020-2021 year, about 44% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #12, North Iowa Area Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in Mason City, Iowa, and it awarded 511 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at North Iowa Area Community College is $6,196. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,884. Associate Degree recipients from North Iowa Area Community College accumulate an average of $11,718 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that North Iowa Area Community College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 83% took at least some of their classes online.
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. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 479 students 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. Out-of-state students 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.
One thing to take note of is that Western Iowa Tech Community College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 78% took at least some of their classes online.
Marshalltown Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. 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.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Marshalltown Community College is $5,184. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,688. Associate Degree recipients from Marshalltown Community College accumulate an average of $14,363 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Marshalltown Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 67% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
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.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
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.