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2023 Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

14 Colleges
$5,919 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$38,677 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants School for You

It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Nursing Degree Search has created the Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in Iowa to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 14 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best value programs for practical nursing students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in Iowa

Check out the practical nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools

$4,802 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Western Iowa Tech Community College to be the best value school for practical nursing and nursing assistants students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. Located in the city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Western Iowa Tech Community College are $4,802 per year. After completing their degree, practical nursing graduates from Western Iowa Tech Community College carry an average student debtload of $13,346.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Western Iowa Tech Community College

$4,396 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Eastern Iowa Community College District is a great value for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Located in the city of Davenport, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges are $4,396 per year. The average amount in student loans that practical nursing majors at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges take out is $15,290.

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$5,220 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Des Moines Area Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in Iowa list. DMACC is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Ankeny.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at DMACC are $5,220 a year. On average, practical nursing graduates from DMACC take out $6,366 in student loans while working on their degree.

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$5,971 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at North Iowa Area Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best practical nursing and nursing assistants schools in Iowa. Located in the town of Mason City, North Iowa Area Community College is a public college with a small student population.

North Iowa Area Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,971 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at North Iowa Area Community College

#5

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, IA
$5,040 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Marshalltown Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in Iowa list. Marshalltown Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Marshalltown.

Marshalltown Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,040 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at Marshalltown Community College accumulate an average of around $18,616 in student debt.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Marshalltown Community College

$6,120 Average Tuition & Fees

Northeast Iowa Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value practical nursing and nursing assistants programs. Located in the rural area of Calmar, NICC is a public school with a small student population.

NICC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Practical Nursing majors at NICC take out an average of $17,499 in student loans while working on their egree.

In addition to its great value ranking, NICC is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in Iowa list.

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$6,000 Average Tuition & Fees

Iowa Central Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the remote town of Fort Dodge, Iowa Central Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa Central Community College are $6,000 per year. After completing their degree, practical nursing graduates from Iowa Central Community College carry an average student debtload of $12,343.

Full Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Iowa Central Community College Report

#8

Southeastern Community College

West Burlington, IA
$6,090 Average Tuition & Fees

Southeastern Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the remote town of West Burlington, Southeastern Community College is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southeastern Community College are $6,090 per year. While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at Southeastern Community College accumulate an average of around $16,800 in student debt.

Read full report on Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants at Southeastern Community College

#9

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA
$5,308 Average Tuition & Fees

Kirkwood Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing & Nursing Assistants Schools in Iowa ranking. Kirkwood Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Cedar Rapids.

Kirkwood Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,308 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Practical Nursing majors at Kirkwood Community College take out an average of $19,750 in student loans while working on their egree.

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$6,540 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, Northwest Iowa Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for practical nursing and nursing assistants students. Northwest Iowa Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Sheldon.

Northwest Iowa Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,540 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, practical nursing majors at Northwest Iowa Community College accumulate an average of around $15,625 in student debt.

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Best Value Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 22
South Dakota 0
North Dakota 70
Nebraska 0

Practical Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training 44,900
Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide 34,557
Other Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants 4,817

Majors Similar to Practical Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 14 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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