Iowa · Practical Nursing

Best institutions to study Practical Nursing in Iowa

The Practical Nursing program, also known as Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, prepares students for a career as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). This program is designed for individuals who want to provide direct nursing care to…

Institutions
16
offering CIP 51.39
States & territories
56
with a program page
Degrees / yr
4,095
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
$33,043
1 year after graduation
With earnings data
4
College Scorecard
Median net price
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
46%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Nursing Assistants
$41,490
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 4 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard).

#InstitutionGrad earnings (1 yr)CompletionsGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Eastern Iowa Community College District
Davenport Public · Certificate degree
$45,66235145%$19,835
2Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny Public · Certificate degree
$34,3901,74839%$11,625
3Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs Public · Certificate degree
$33,04318840%$18,000
4Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City Public · Certificate degree
$29,34853650%$14,499

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Nursing Assistants (SOC 31-1131).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+2.3%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~204,100
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$39,530
typically Postsecondary nondegree award

Top skills

Active ListeningMonitoringReading ComprehensionSpeakingCritical ThinkingActive Learning

What Nursing Assistants earn in Iowa

Jobs in Iowa
22,670
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$41,490
median $39,350
Best-paying metro
$42,980
Ames, IA

Related careers

Nursing Assistants
$41,490 avg · 22,670 jobs
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
$63,420 avg · 5,510 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Practical Nursing programs in Iowa.

Which Practical Nursing program in Iowa has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (College Scorecard), Eastern Iowa Community College District tops the list at $45,662. Compare it against completions, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Nursing Assistants earn in Iowa?+

The average annual wage for Nursing Assistants in Iowa is $41,490 (median $39,350), across about 22,670 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Practical Nursing program?+

The Practical Nursing program, also known as Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, prepares students for a career as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). This program is designed for individuals who want to provide direct nursing care to…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

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

What is the job outlook for Nursing Assistants?+

The national job outlook is about +2.3% growth with around 204,100 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).

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.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card