Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing programs in Iowa
21 schools in Iowa teach this, at certificate or associate level. 19 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $57,995 at North Iowa Area Community College.
What this work pays in Iowa
Registered Nurses in Iowa earn a median of $78,630 a year across 34,420 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $101,940 | 6,200 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $130,160 | 3,240 |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $77,360 | 770 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $273,070 | 380 |
| Nurse Midwives | $131,360 | 80 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Iowa Area Community College Mason City | Associate's degree | $13,250 | $57,995 (21 grads) | 49 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport | Associate's degree | $24,575 | $54,996 (57 grads) | 145 |
| Southeastern Community College West Burlington | Associate's degree | $18,475 | $54,597 (90 grads) | 50 |
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Associate's degree | $15,075 | $51,750 (116 grads) | 178 |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines | Associate's degree | $25,204 | $51,551 (83 grads) | 36 |
| Ellsworth Community College Iowa Falls | Associate's degree | $9,900 | $51,273 (23 grads) | 21 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar | Associate's degree | — | $51,065 (60 grads) | 93 |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Associate's degree | $15,750 | $51,054 (77 grads) | 149 |
| St Luke's College Sioux City | Associate's degree | $13,000 | $50,856 (18 grads) | 33 |
| Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon | Associate's degree | $12,828 | $50,439 (56 grads) | 29 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | Associate's degree | $13,897 | $50,387 (88 grads) | 89 |
| Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | Associate's degree | $20,000 | $49,883 (141 grads) | 126 |
| Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge | Associate's degree | $16,621 | $49,437 (66 grads) | 76 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar | Undergraduate certificate | $17,750 | $48,901 (55 grads) | — |
| Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa | Associate's degree | $17,334 | $48,667 (118 grads) | 26 |
| Hawkeye Community College Waterloo | Associate's degree | $18,469 | $47,846 (62 grads) | 37 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville | Associate's degree | $20,426 | $46,869 (56 grads) | 13 |
| Southwestern Community College Creston | Associate's degree | $12,676 | $46,833 (51 grads) | 43 |
| Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown | Associate's degree | $17,000 | $46,478 (18 grads) | 22 |
| Hawkeye Community College Waterloo | Undergraduate certificate | $13,643 | not published | 34 |
| Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa | Undergraduate certificate | $15,351 | not published | 8 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.