Iowa · Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services

Best colleges for Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services in Iowa

Ranked by graduate earnings

Hawkeye Community College, Kirkwood Community College and Southeastern Community College are the top Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services programs in Iowa by graduate earnings. Hawkeye Community College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $39,614, College Scorecard. Mercy College of Health Sciences, Kirkwood Community College and Southeastern Community College award the most Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services degrees and certificates in Iowa: 131, 81 and 50 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 17 Iowa colleges offer Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services and award 470 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services program prepares students for a variety of roles in the healthcare sector, focusing on diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services. This program is ideal for individuals…

Institutions
17
offering CIP 51.08
States & territories
53
with a program page
Degrees / yr
470
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$36,313
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
11
College Scorecard
Median net price
$22,912
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
50%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Medical Assistants
$44,930
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Hawkeye Community College
Waterloo Public · Associate degree
$39,6143243%—$20,716
2Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids Public · Associate degree
$36,9398143%—$18,616
3Southeastern Community College
West Burlington Public · Certificate
$36,2025043%—$14,296
4Iowa Central Community College
Fort Dodge Public · Certificate
$34,3172242%—$15,621
5Ross College - Davenport
Davenport Private for-profit · Certificate
$27,1862765%$22,912$9,500
6North Iowa Area Community College
Mason City Public · Associate degree Small program
$44,4551861%—$17,000
7Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny Public · Certificate Small program
$38,511939%—$12,834
8Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City Public · Associate degree Small program
$37,4831850%—$13,750
9Indian Hills Community College
Ottumwa Public · Associate degree Small program
$36,3131640%—$19,316
10Northeast Iowa Community College
Calmar Public · Certificate Small program
$32,840851%—$14,136

Colleges awarding the most Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services degrees in Iowa

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Mercy College of Health Sciences
Des Moines Private not-for-profit
131Not reported
2Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids Public
81$36,939
3Southeastern Community College
West Burlington Public
50$36,202
4Hawkeye Community College
Waterloo Public
32$39,614
5Ross College - Davenport
Davenport Private for-profit
27$27,186
6Eastern Iowa Community College District
Davenport Public
24Not reported
7Iowa Central Community College
Fort Dodge Public
22$34,317
8North Iowa Area Community College
Mason City Public
18$44,455
9Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City Public
18$37,483
10Indian Hills Community College
Ottumwa Public
16$36,313
Show the other 7 Iowa colleges offering Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil BluffsPublic12
Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkenyPublic9
Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmarPublic8
Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltownPublic6
Northwest Iowa Community CollegeSheldonPublic6
Ellsworth Community CollegeIowa FallsPublic5
Orion Technical CollegeDavenportPrivate for-profit5

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Medical Assistants (SOC 31-9092).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+12.5%
Much faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~112,300
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$44,200
typically Postsecondary nondegree award

Top skills

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingMonitoringWriting

What Medical Assistants earn in Iowa

Jobs in Iowa
5,990
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$44,930
median $45,480
Best-paying metro
$46,440
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA

Related careers

Medical Assistants
$44,930 avg · 5,990 jobs
Pharmacy Technicians
$44,340 avg · 4,630 jobs
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other
$52,840 avg · 1,600 jobs
Physical Therapist Assistants
$60,220 avg · 1,060 jobs
Surgical Technologists
$60,450 avg · 950 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services programs in Iowa.

Which Iowa colleges award the most Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services degrees?+

Mercy College of Health Sciences (131 graduates a year), Kirkwood Community College (81 graduates a year) and Southeastern Community College (50 graduates a year) award the most Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services degrees and certificates in Iowa, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 17 Iowa colleges offer Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.

What is the best college for Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services in Iowa?+

By graduate earnings, Hawkeye Community College leads among Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services programs in Iowa, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $39,614, College Scorecard. Kirkwood Community College and Southeastern Community College follow. By degrees awarded, Mercy College of Health Sciences is the largest, with 131 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services program in Iowa has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Hawkeye Community College tops the list at $39,614. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Medical Assistants earn in Iowa?+

The average annual wage for Medical Assistants in Iowa is $44,930 (median $45,480), across about 5,990 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services program?+

The Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services program prepares students for a variety of roles in the healthcare sector, focusing on diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services. This program is ideal for individuals…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Medical Assistants?+

The national job outlook is about +12.5% growth with around 112,300 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services in other statesKansasHawaiiNew HampshireWashingtonArkansasMinnesotaOregonMassachusetts

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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