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2023 Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which trade school program is right for you. 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 Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 23 schools in Iowa to see which ones were the most popular associate degree programs for trade school students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.
Most Popular Trade Associate Degree Schools in Iowa
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Kirkwood Community College the most popular school in Iowa for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the fairly large public school awarded 1,628 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
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. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,030 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 59% were women.
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.
The excellent associate degree programs at Des Moines Area Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular trade school schools in Iowa. Ankeny, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 2,010 students 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. Of those students who received their degree, 60% were women.
DMACC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 50% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll be in good company if you attend Indian Hills Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. IHCC is a public institution located in Ottumwa, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 528 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $14,730 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 59% were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at IHCC. During the 2020-2021 year, about 36% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent associate degree programs at Hawkeye Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular trade school schools in Iowa. Hawkeye Community College is a small public school located in Waterloo, Iowa that handed out 596 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $6,090 in tuition and fees if they attend Hawkeye Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,583. On average, associate degree students take out $17,358 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 57% were women.
One thing to take note of is that Hawkeye Community College 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.
You’ll be in good company if you attend Iowa Central Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Iowa Central Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Fort Dodge, Iowa that handed out 812 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Iowa Central Community College is $5,196. 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. Around 50% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Iowa Central Community College. In fact, around 26% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Eastern Iowa Community College District ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. This medium-sized public school is located in Davenport, Iowa, 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. Of those students who received their degree, 68% were women.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 44% took at least some of their classes online.
Northwest Iowa Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Northwest Iowa Community College is a small public school situated in Sheldon, Iowa. It awarded 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. If you are from out of state, expect to 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. Around 50% of those degree recipients were women.
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.
North Iowa Area Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree trade school programs. North Iowa Area Community College is a small public school located in Mason City, Iowa that handed out 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. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,884. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,718 in student loans. Around 52% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at North Iowa Area Community College. In 2020-2021 about 83% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #9, Western Iowa Tech Community College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Sioux City, Iowa that handed out 479 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,922 in tuition and fees if they attend Western Iowa Tech Community College full time. 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. Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at Western Iowa Tech 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 78% took at least some of their classes online.
Northeast Iowa Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. NICC is a small public school situated in Calmar, Iowa. It awarded 368 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at NICC is $6,270. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,990. Around 70% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since NICC does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 43% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #11, Iowa Western Community College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. This medium-sized public school is located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and it awarded 797 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
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. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,474 in student loans. Around 58% of those degree recipients were women.
Iowa Western 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 63% took at least some of their classes online.
Waldorf University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Waldorf is a small private for-profit school situated in Forest City, Iowa. It awarded 116 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Waldorf does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $24,526. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $15,988 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 34% were women.
Waldorf does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 69% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Southeastern Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. This small public school is located in West Burlington, Iowa, 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. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,360. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,369 in student loans. Around 65% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that Southeastern Community College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 55% took at least some of their classes online.
Iowa Lakes Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. This small public school is located in Estherville, Iowa, and it awarded 282 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Iowa Lakes Community College is $7,004. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,452. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,383 in student loans. Around 54% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Iowa Lakes 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.
Mercy College of Health Sciences landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree trade school programs. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 67 students in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,967 in student loans. Around 90% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at Mercy College of Health Sciences, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 81% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Southwestern Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa list. Located in Creston, Iowa, the small public school handed out 228 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend SWCC full time pay an average of $6,330 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,540. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,750 in student loans. Around 64% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SWCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.
Hamilton Technical College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree trade school programs. This very small private for-profit school is located in Davenport, Iowa, and it awarded 18 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $15,600 to cover tuition and fees at Hamilton Technical College. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Around 44% of those degree recipients were women.
Hamilton Technical 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 96% took at least some of their classes online.
St Luke’s College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #18 on the list. This very small private not-for-profit school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 48 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at St Luke’s College is $20,940. 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 $14,281 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 90% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at St Luke’s College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 38% took at least some of their classes online.
Marshalltown Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in Marshalltown, Iowa, the small public school handed out 206 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $5,184 in tuition and fees if they attend Marshalltown Community College full time. 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. Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students 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.
Allen College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #19 on the list. Allen College is a very small private not-for-profit school situated in Waterloo, Iowa. It awarded 17 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Allen College does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $20,008. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Of those students who received their degree, 88% were women.
One thing to take note of is that Allen College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #21, Ross College-Quad Cities did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Davenport, Iowa is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 11 students in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $12,231 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 100% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Ross College-Quad Cities. During the 2020-2021 year, about 21% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Dordt University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #22 on the list. Dordt is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Center, Iowa. It awarded 23 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Dordt is $34,600. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Of those students who received their degree, 39% were women.
Online courses are available at Dordt, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 28% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Ellsworth Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in Iowa Falls, Iowa, the very small public school awarded 146 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Ellsworth is $5,184. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,192. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,533 in student loans. Around 56% of those degree recipients were women.
Ellsworth does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 79% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Most Popular Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 23 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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