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2023 Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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 Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa ranking. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in Iowa to see which undergraduate certificate programs offered the best value experiences for trade school students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Trade Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Northwest Iowa Community College to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Iowa. Northwest Iowa Community College is a public institution located in Sheldon, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 145 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Northwest Iowa Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,170 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $7,669 in student loans.
Northwest Iowa Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. 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.
Northwest Iowa Community College also took the #1 spot in our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa rankings.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Western Iowa Tech Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. 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.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Western Iowa Tech Community College are $4,946 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,123 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Western Iowa Tech Community College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 78% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Des Moines Area Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Des Moines Area Community College is a large public school located in Ankeny, Iowa that handed out 411 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at DMACC are $10,680 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,031 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at DMACC. In fact, around 50% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, DMACC is ranked #5 for overall quality in Iowa.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Eastern Iowa Community College District. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa list. Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is a public institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 171 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges are $6,096 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,304 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 44% took at least some of their classes online.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Marshalltown Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Marshalltown Community College is a small public school situated in Marshalltown, Iowa. It awarded 103 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Marshalltown Community College are $5,688 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $12,127 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Marshalltown Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 67% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Indian Hills Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa ranking. Indian Hills Community College is a small public school located in Ottumwa, Iowa that handed out 158 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
IHCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $13,795 in loans while pursuing their degree.
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.
Hawkeye Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #7 on the list. Hawkeye Community College is located in Waterloo, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 248 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Hawkeye Community College are $6,583 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,958 in student loans.
Hawkeye Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 44% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Hawkeye Community College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa list.
Northeast Iowa Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. NICC is located in Calmar, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 220 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
NICC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,990 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $12,670 in loans while pursuing their degree.
NICC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 43% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
NICC also made our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa list, coming in at #2.
Southeastern Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in West Burlington, Iowa, the small public school handed out 130 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Southeastern Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,360 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,737 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Southeastern Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 55% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Southeastern Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa list.
Kirkwood Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the 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.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Kirkwood Community College are $7,604 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,843 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Kirkwood Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 59% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Iowa Central Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa ranking. Iowa Central Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Fort Dodge, Iowa. It awarded 168 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Iowa Central Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,398 in tuition and fees each year. 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 26% took at least some of their classes online.
North Iowa Area Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa list. North Iowa Area Community College is a small public school situated in Mason City, Iowa. It awarded 64 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at North Iowa Area Community College are $8,884 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,904 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at North Iowa Area Community College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 83% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Iowa Western Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa list. Iowa Western Community College is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 289 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Iowa Western Community College are $6,690 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,985 in student loans.
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.
Iowa Lakes Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Iowa list. Iowa Lakes Community College is located in Estherville, Iowa and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 29 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Iowa Lakes Community College are $7,452 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Iowa Lakes Community College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 44% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Best Value 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
- 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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