Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants programs in Iowa
16 schools in Iowa teach this, at certificate or associate level. 8 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $38,289 at North Iowa Area Community College.
What this work pays in Iowa
Nursing Assistants in Iowa earn a median of $39,350 a year across 22,670 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $62,630 | 5,510 |
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 | Undergraduate certificate | — | $38,289 (13 grads) | 129 |
| Hawkeye Community College Waterloo | Undergraduate certificate | — | $37,808 (29 grads) | — |
| Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $36,848 (17 grads) | 20 |
| Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | Undergraduate certificate | $12,229 | $35,416 (14 grads) | 136 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | Undergraduate certificate | $8,931 | $34,603 (35 grads) | 516 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $33,993 (12 grads) | 72 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport | Undergraduate certificate | $14,236 | $33,637 (23 grads) | 25 |
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Undergraduate certificate | — | $33,281 (20 grads) | 534 |
| Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge | Undergraduate certificate | $12,986 | not published | 212 |
| Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon | Undergraduate certificate | $11,000 | not published | 33 |
| Southeastern Community College West Burlington | Undergraduate certificate | $11,324 | not published | 140 |
| Southwestern Community College Creston | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 68 |
| Ellsworth Community College Iowa Falls | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 16 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 177 |
| Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 24 |
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 Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.