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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.
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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. Waldorf is a private for-profit institution located in Forest City, Iowa. The school has a small population, 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. Associate Degree recipients from Waldorf accumulate an average of $15,988 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Waldorf, 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 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 a small public school located in Sheldon, Iowa that handed out 211 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
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. Associate Degree recipients from Northwest Iowa Community College accumulate an average of $11,532 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
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. In fact, around 66% 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, Hawkeye Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Hawkeye Community College is located in Waterloo, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 596 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Iowa pay an average of $6,090 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Hawkeye Community College. Out-of-state students 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.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Hawkeye Community College. In 2020-2021 about 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeast Iowa Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. This small public school is located in Calmar, Iowa, and it awarded 368 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $6,270 in tuition and fees if they attend NICC full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,990.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at NICC. During the 2020-2021 year, about 43% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kirkwood Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Kirkwood Community College is a public institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,628 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $5,700 in tuition and fees if they attend Kirkwood Community College full time. 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.
Kirkwood 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 59% took at least some of their classes online.
Des Moines Area 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 #6 on the list. This large public school is located in Ankeny, Iowa, and it awarded 2,010 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,641 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at DMACC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 50% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Iowa Central 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 #7 on the list. Iowa Central Community College is located in Fort Dodge, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 812 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Iowa pay an average of $5,196 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Iowa Central Community College. Those students who come from outside the state 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.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Iowa Central Community College. In 2020-2021 about 26% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #8, Southeastern Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in West Burlington, Iowa, the small public school awarded 388 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Southeastern Community College is $6,210. Those students who come from outside the state 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 55% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #9, Indian Hills Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Ottumwa, Iowa, the small public school awarded 528 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $14,730 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able 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 came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. Iowa Western Community College is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 797 associate degrees to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $6,540 in tuition and fees if they attend Iowa Western Community College full time. Out-of-state students 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 came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in Davenport, Iowa, the medium-sized public school handed out 823 associate degree awards 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.
North Iowa Area Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Located in Mason City, Iowa, the small public school awarded 511 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at North Iowa Area Community College is $6,196. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,884. On average, associate degree students take out $11,718 in loans while pursuing their degree.
North Iowa Area 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. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 83% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Western Iowa Tech Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Sioux City, Iowa. It awarded 479 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend Western Iowa Tech Community College full time pay an average of $4,922 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $4,946. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,028 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Western Iowa Tech Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 78% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Marshalltown 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 #14 on the list. Marshalltown Community College is located in Marshalltown, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 206 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from Iowa who attend Marshalltown Community College full time pay an average of $5,184 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,688. On average, associate degree students take out $14,363 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Marshalltown Community College. 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
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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.
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