Kirkwood Community College
Kirkwood Community College offers hands-on training for skilled trades with strong connections to local industries. Many programs, including construction management, aviation maintenance, carpentry, plumbing, and HVAC, are designed with input from employer partners to ensure relevant skills. Students can gain practical experience through internships and often secure employment before or shortly after graduation. The college also provides flexible learning options like their FlexFORWARD program, with courses delivered in shorter blocks to accommodate busy schedules.
Programs Analyzed
Avg Grad Earnings
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
Tuition (In-State)
All Programs at Kirkwood Community College
19 trade programs at Kirkwood CC, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.
| Program | Score | Earnings | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
79 | $64,461/yr | $15,750 |
|
IT Management
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
70 | $41,575/yr | $12,585 |
|
Business Administration
Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
69 | $37,385/yr | $14,145 |
|
Agricultural Business
Agricultural Business and Management Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
66 | $40,835/yr | $11,000 |
|
Vehicle Repair Technology
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
65 | $44,896/yr | $10,000 |
|
Allied Health Professions
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
64 | $52,364/yr | $15,788 |
|
Horticulture
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services Compare nationwide → |
64 | $35,900/yr | $11,000 |
|
Health Administration
Health and Medical Administrative Services Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
62 | $33,009/yr | $27,394 |
|
Agricultural Mechanization
Compare nationwide → |
61 | $54,829/yr | — |
|
Welding & Metalworking
Precision Metal Working Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
61 | $48,114/yr | $12,000 |
|
Medical Assisting
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
61 | $30,884/yr | — |
|
Electrical Engineering Technology
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
60 | $60,210/yr | — |
|
Electromechanical Technology
Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → |
60 | $50,387/yr | $15,983 |
|
Computer Programming
Compare nationwide → |
60 | $39,216/yr | $14,112 |
|
Agricultural Production
Agricultural Production Operations Compare nationwide → |
58 | $42,392/yr | $9,530 |
|
Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts and Related Services Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
58 | $21,391/yr | $9,511 |
|
Dental Assisting
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
52 | $36,885/yr | $11,999 |
|
Design
Design and Applied Arts Compare nationwide → |
47 | $32,116/yr | $10,168 |
|
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare nationwide → Compare in IA → |
44 | $29,838/yr | $10,402 |
Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.
More Trade Schools in Iowa
Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in Iowa, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.
Apprenticeship Pathways in Iowa
Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in Iowa. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.
Trade Schools Near Cedar Rapids
Other cities in Iowa with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from Cedar Rapids.
About This Data
TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 19 trade and vocational programs at Kirkwood Community College using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).
The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.