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Best Trade Programs in Iowa (2026)

Top 100 of 197 programs in Iowa · Updated 2026

The best trade school programs in Iowa, ranked by overall value. We scored 197 programs across Iowa trade schools on earnings, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $47,772/yr in graduate earnings.

Programs in IA

197

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$47,772/yr

Avg TSW Score

70/100

#1 Program

Truck Driving & CDL

Northwest Iowa Community College

Top Trade Programs in Iowa

Top 100 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.

#	Program	TSW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Truck Driving & CDL Northwest Iowa Community College · Sheldon, IA	79 79–79	$60,943/yr	41.9x
2	Electrical Installation Northwest Iowa Community College · Sheldon, IA	85 81–86	$78,118/yr	155.1x
3	Nursing Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	78 73–78	$59,181/yr	56.9x
4	Nursing Eastern Iowa Community College District · Davenport, IA	81 76–81	$62,338/yr	67.8x
5	Criminal Justice Hawkeye Community College · Waterloo, IA	74 71–75	$49,572/yr	42.1x
6	Nursing Iowa Western Community College · Council Bluffs, IA	77 73–77	$65,268/yr	49.0x
7	International Business University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA	79 74–82	$60,660/yr	57.7x
8	Nursing Kirkwood Community College · Cedar Rapids, IA	79 74–79	$64,461/yr	51.4x
9	Nursing Marshalltown Community College · Marshalltown, IA	80 74–80	$61,954/yr	63.0x
10	Nursing Southeastern Community College · West Burlington, IA	77 72–78	$61,159/yr	53.5x
11	Nursing Western Iowa Tech Community College · Sioux City, IA	80 75–81	$63,214/yr	66.1x
12	IT Management Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	79 72–82	$66,093/yr	58.5x
13	Vehicle Repair Technology Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	69 68–70	$52,325/yr	54.2x
14	Nursing Ellsworth Community College · Iowa Falls, IA	78 73–78	$58,487/yr	58.6x
15	Practical Nursing Eastern Iowa Community College District · Davenport, IA	79 78–80	$45,662/yr	103.2x
16	Nursing Hawkeye Community College · Waterloo, IA	76 71–76	$58,835/yr	49.0x
17	Nursing Indian Hills Community College · Ottumwa, IA	79 73–79	$56,923/yr	63.1x
18	Nursing Iowa Central Community College · Fort Dodge, IA	78 72–78	$56,562/yr	59.0x
19	Nursing North Iowa Area Community College · Mason City, IA	77 71–78	$58,096/yr	53.3x
20	Nursing Northeast Iowa Community College · Calmar, IA	83 78–84	$57,546/yr	93.9x
21	Criminal Justice Western Iowa Tech Community College · Sioux City, IA	74 70–76	$43,547/yr	49.9x
22	Information Sciences Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	78 70–80	$60,163/yr	53.2x
23	Vehicle Repair Technology Indian Hills Community College · Ottumwa, IA	69 68–69	$50,901/yr	48.0x
24	Vehicle Repair Technology Iowa Central Community College · Fort Dodge, IA	68 67–68	$49,556/yr	50.8x
25	Nursing Iowa Lakes Community College · Estherville, IA	75 71–75	$61,157/yr	42.2x
26	Vehicle Repair Technology Iowa Western Community College · Council Bluffs, IA	71 71–72	$47,545/yr	69.1x
27	Nursing Southwestern Community College · Creston, IA	76 72–77	$63,505/yr	42.1x
28	Criminal Justice Iowa Central Community College · Fort Dodge, IA	71 66–73	$39,121/yr	47.2x
29	Entrepreneurship University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA	77 69–80	$46,878/yr	61.3x
30	Welding & Metalworking Marshalltown Community College · Marshalltown, IA	69 68–70	$45,972/yr	85.7x
31	Nursing Northwest Iowa Community College · Sheldon, IA	76 71–76	$62,453/yr	39.6x
32	Criminal Justice Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	70 68–72	$42,555/yr	39.0x
33	Welding & Metalworking Hawkeye Community College · Waterloo, IA	68 66–69	$45,509/yr	87.7x
34	Welding & Metalworking Kirkwood Community College · Cedar Rapids, IA	61 60–62	$48,114/yr	45.7x
35	Electrical Installation Marshalltown Community College · Marshalltown, IA	74 72–75	$43,768/yr	81.5x
36	Electrical Installation Northeast Iowa Community College · Calmar, IA	75 70–76	$44,198/yr	87.6x
37	Vehicle Repair Technology Northeast Iowa Community College · Calmar, IA	72 68–73	$43,536/yr	85.6x
38	Welding & Metalworking Northeast Iowa Community College · Calmar, IA	66 64–67	$43,588/yr	83.5x
39	Agricultural Business Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	70 64–73	$40,506/yr	49.1x
40	Vehicle Repair Technology Hawkeye Community College · Waterloo, IA	64 64–65	$47,762/yr	39.6x
41	Business Administration University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA	72 63–74	$34,012/yr	50.1x
42	Vehicle Repair Technology Kirkwood Community College · Cedar Rapids, IA	65 63–65	$44,896/yr	44.5x
43	Vehicle Repair Technology North Iowa Area Community College · Mason City, IA	65 64–65	$47,882/yr	40.5x
44	Agricultural Business Northeast Iowa Community College · Calmar, IA	73 70–76	$40,955/yr	61.1x
45	Vehicle Repair Technology Northwest Iowa Community College · Sheldon, IA	65 65–65	$52,174/yr	35.5x
46	Welding & Metalworking Western Iowa Tech Community College · Sioux City, IA	67 65–67	$41,613/yr	81.5x
47	Welding & Metalworking Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	66 63–67	$39,397/yr	94.5x
48	Accounting Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	72 65–74	$47,400/yr	48.3x
49	Agricultural Business Hawkeye Community College · Waterloo, IA	70 67–72	$47,472/yr	36.3x
50	Vehicle Repair Technology Iowa Western Community College · Council Bluffs, IA	64 63–64	$46,852/yr	38.3x
51	Health Administration Northeast Iowa Community College · Calmar, IA	72 67–74	$36,716/yr	54.6x
52	Health Administration Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	73 68–75	$35,662/yr	64.7x
53	Practical Nursing Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	74 67–74	$34,390/yr	108.0x
54	Health Administration Eastern Iowa Community College District · Davenport, IA	70 65–72	$39,416/yr	41.1x
55	Practical Nursing Iowa Western Community College · Council Bluffs, IA	71 64–71	$33,043/yr	90.1x
56	Horticulture Kirkwood Community College · Cedar Rapids, IA	64 62–66	$35,900/yr	33.1x
57	IT Management Kirkwood Community College · Cedar Rapids, IA	70 60–73	$41,575/yr	48.0x
58	Culinary Arts Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	65 59–65	$26,913/yr	36.7x
59	Medical Assisting Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	70 67–70	$38,511/yr	68.4x
60	Vehicle Repair Technology Western Iowa Tech Community College · Sioux City, IA	69 65–69	$35,550/yr	94.9x
61	Vehicle Repair Technology Western Iowa Tech Community College · Sioux City, IA	61 59–62	$37,520/yr	45.3x
62	Homeland Security Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	74 71–75	$54,209/yr	96.7x
63	Allied Health Professions Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	66 63–66	$56,681/yr	50.1x
64	Business Administration Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	68 64–70	$35,852/yr	31.8x
65	Health Administration Hawkeye Community College · Waterloo, IA	69 63–71	$32,126/yr	54.3x
66	Dental Assisting Indian Hills Community College · Ottumwa, IA	66 64–67	$57,921/yr	58.4x
67	Electrical Repair Technology Iowa Central Community College · Fort Dodge, IA	65 61–65	$53,083/yr	59.2x
68	Dental Assisting Iowa Central Community College · Fort Dodge, IA	66 64–66	$59,746/yr	54.7x
69	Business Administration Kirkwood Community College · Cedar Rapids, IA	69 65–71	$37,385/yr	30.8x
70	Nursing Mercy College of Health Sciences · Des Moines, IA	69 63–69	$63,867/yr	16.2x
71	Medical Assisting North Iowa Area Community College · Mason City, IA	65 62–66	$44,455/yr	37.7x
72	Electrical Installation Western Iowa Tech Community College · Sioux City, IA	72 66–72	$35,556/yr	100.7x
73	Health Administration Western Iowa Tech Community College · Sioux City, IA	70 65–72	$31,546/yr	52.7x
74	Computer Networking Iowa Central Community College · Fort Dodge, IA	71 58–74	$43,253/yr	68.6x
75	Truck Driving & CDL Iowa Central Community College · Fort Dodge, IA	62 57–63	$18,387/yr	64.2x
76	Allied Health Professions Iowa Central Community College · Fort Dodge, IA	63 61–64	$50,501/yr	49.1x
77	Vehicle Repair Technology Iowa Lakes Community College · Estherville, IA	60 60–61	$34,586/yr	47.1x
78	HVAC Technology Iowa Western Community College · Council Bluffs, IA	66 66–66	$52,345/yr	76.2x
79	Dental Assisting Iowa Western Community College · Council Bluffs, IA	65 63–65	$64,917/yr	44.7x
80	Agricultural Business Kirkwood Community College · Cedar Rapids, IA	66 63–68	$40,835/yr	33.1x
81	Allied Health Professions Kirkwood Community College · Cedar Rapids, IA	64 61–64	$52,364/yr	48.0x
82	Allied Health Professions Northeast Iowa Community College · Calmar, IA	69 67–70	$51,206/yr	76.6x
83	Medical Assisting Southeastern Community College · West Burlington, IA	66 63–67	$36,202/yr	58.3x
84	Allied Health Professions Southeastern Community College · West Burlington, IA	66 63–66	$60,712/yr	42.3x
85	Business Administration Upper Iowa University · Fayette, IA	67 62–69	$46,039/yr	11.1x
86	Practical Nursing Western Iowa Tech Community College · Sioux City, IA	70 63–70	$29,348/yr	105.0x
87	Dental Assisting Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	63 59–63	$49,953/yr	51.2x
88	Allied Health Professions Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	68 65–69	$45,688/yr	81.3x
89	Carpentry Hawkeye Community College · Waterloo, IA	62 60–63	$44,602/yr	34.4x
90	Allied Health Professions Hawkeye Community College · Waterloo, IA	64 62–64	$55,987/yr	43.4x
91	Computer Programming Indian Hills Community College · Ottumwa, IA	71 62–75	$63,559/yr	72.4x
92	Computer Networking Indian Hills Community College · Ottumwa, IA	69 58–71	$41,166/yr	56.7x
93	Medical Assisting Indian Hills Community College · Ottumwa, IA	63 59–63	$36,313/yr	43.3x
94	Medical Assisting Iowa Central Community College · Fort Dodge, IA	66 64–67	$34,317/yr	62.8x
95	Agricultural Mechanization Kirkwood Community College · Cedar Rapids, IA	61 59–62	$54,829/yr	50.6x
96	Agricultural Mechanization Northeast Iowa Community College · Calmar, IA	68 66–69	$56,331/yr	88.9x
97	Business Administration Northeast Iowa Community College · Calmar, IA	67 63–69	$29,018/yr	43.0x
98	Electrical Repair Technology Northwest Iowa Community College · Sheldon, IA	60 54–61	$44,875/yr	53.1x
99	Medical Assisting Western Iowa Tech Community College · Sioux City, IA	63 60–64	$37,483/yr	42.6x
100	Carpentry Des Moines Area Community College · Ankeny, IA	63 61–64	$34,421/yr	61.0x

About This Ranking

What we ranked

Best Trades in Iowa ranks 100 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.

Data sources

Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.

How to read the table

Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.

Caveats & limitations

Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.

Methodology

This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at Iowa schools, drawn from 197 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and tuition ROI.

Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best trade program in Iowa?

By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Truck Driving & CDL at Northwest Iowa Community College ranks #1 in Iowa with a score of 79/100 and graduate earnings of $60,943/yr.

How many trade programs are in Iowa?

Our database includes 197 trade programs across Iowa schools with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2025.