Program Payoff

Southwestern Community College

Creston, Iowa. 36 certificate and associate programs, public. 36 of them report what graduates earn; for the rest, the figure below is what the occupation pays in Iowa.

ProgramCredentialMedian debtGraduates earnThe occupation pays
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate's degree $12,676 $46,833 (51) $78,630
Registered Nurses
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree $26,353 (14) $50,510
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate's degree $9,913 $20,824 (68) $71,680
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other
Business Administration, Management and Operations Associate's degree not published $87,690
General and Operations Managers
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Undergraduate certificate $9,500 not published $39,350
Nursing Assistants
Accounting and Related Services Associate's degree not published $48,180
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Agricultural Business and Management Associate's degree not published $66,760
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
Agricultural Production Operations Associate's degree not published $36,480
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
Animal Sciences Associate's degree not published $48,200
Farm and Home Management Educators
Biology, General Associate's degree not published $61,200
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Business Administration, Management and Operations Undergraduate certificate not published $87,690
General and Operations Managers
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services Undergraduate certificate not published $46,090
Customer Service Representatives
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services Associate's degree not published $46,090
Customer Service Representatives
Carpenters Undergraduate certificate not published $78,510
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Carpenters Associate's degree not published $78,510
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Computer Software and Media Applications Associate's degree not published $114,890
Software Developers
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications Undergraduate certificate not published $114,890
Software Developers
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications Associate's degree not published $114,890
Software Developers
Criminal Justice and Corrections Associate's degree not published $37,080
Security Guards
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Undergraduate certificate not published $60,860
Electricians
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Associate's degree not published $60,860
Electricians
English Language and Literature, General Associate's degree not published $61,200
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians Undergraduate certificate not published $64,400
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree not published $64,400
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
History Associate's degree not published $61,200
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Undergraduate certificate not published $28,420
Childcare Workers
Management Information Systems and Services Associate's degree not published $143,780
Computer and Information Systems Managers
Music Associate's degree not published $61,200
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Plant Sciences Associate's degree not published $96,310
Soil and Plant Scientists
Precision Metal Working Undergraduate certificate not published $55,090
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Precision Metal Working Associate's degree not published $55,090
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Psychology, General Associate's degree not published $128,080
Managers, All Other
Sociology Associate's degree not published $128,080
Managers, All Other
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Associate's degree not published $49,350
Coaches and Scouts
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Associate's degree not published $60,580
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Undergraduate certificate not published $50,510
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

"Graduates earn" is the median two years after completing, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10; the number in brackets is how many graduates it covers. A dash means the Department has not published a figure — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates — and never that the figure is zero. "The occupation pays" is the state median for the occupation the program leads to, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, and describes everyone in that job rather than graduates of this school.