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2023 Best Undergraduate Certificate 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 Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in Iowa to see which undergraduate certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Trade Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Northwest Iowa Community College the best school in Iowa for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. This small public school is located in Sheldon, Iowa, and it awarded 145 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $6,870 in tuition and fees if they attend Northwest Iowa Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,170. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $7,669 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Northwest Iowa Community College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 66% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at Northeast Iowa Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in Iowa. Located in Calmar, Iowa, the small public school awarded 220 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate 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. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,670 in student loans.
NICC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 43% 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 Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa list. Hawkeye Community College is a public institution located in Waterloo, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 248 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Hawkeye Community College is $6,090. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,583. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from Hawkeye Community College accumulate an average of $13,958 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. During the 2020-2021 year, about 44% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 14 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Southeastern Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in West Burlington, Iowa, the small public school handed out 130 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend Southeastern Community College full time pay an average of $6,210 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,360. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,737 in student loans.
Southeastern 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, 55% 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, Des Moines Area Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Des Moines Area Community College is a large public school located in Ankeny, Iowa that handed out 411 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Undergraduate Certificate recipients from DMACC accumulate an average of $10,031 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at DMACC. In fact, around 50% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Western Iowa Tech Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Sioux City, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 404 students 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. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,946. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from Western Iowa Tech Community College accumulate an average of $10,123 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Western Iowa Tech 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. During the 2020-2021 year, about 78% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Marshalltown Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa list. Marshalltown Community College is located in Marshalltown, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 103 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Students from Iowa who attend Marshalltown Community College full time pay an average of $5,184 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,688. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from Marshalltown Community College accumulate an average of $12,127 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Marshalltown Community College. In fact, around 67% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class 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 undergraduate certificate. It came in at #8 on the list. Fort Dodge, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 168 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $5,196 in tuition and fees if they attend Iowa Central Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $7,398. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $11,960 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you 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.
North Iowa Area Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa list. North Iowa Area Community College is located in Mason City, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 64 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
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. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,884. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from North Iowa Area Community College accumulate an average of $9,904 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. In fact, around 83% 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 undergraduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. Iowa Western Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It awarded 289 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend Iowa Western Community College full time pay an average of $6,540 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,690. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from Iowa Western Community College accumulate an average of $10,985 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 Iowa Western Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 63% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Kirkwood Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa list. Kirkwood Community College is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 419 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Students from Iowa who attend Kirkwood Community College full time pay an average of $5,700 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,604. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $13,843 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Kirkwood Community College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 59% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Indian Hills Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #12 on the list. This small public school is located in Ottumwa, Iowa, and it awarded 158 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,795 in student loans.
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.
Eastern Iowa Community College District landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is a medium-sized public school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 171 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,304 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Eastern Iowa Community Colleges does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 44% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Iowa Lakes Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. Iowa Lakes Community College is a small public school situated in Estherville, Iowa. It awarded 29 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend Iowa Lakes Community College full time pay an average of $7,004 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $7,452.
Iowa Lakes Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Best Trade Undergraduate Certificate 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.