Trade schools by state
Trade schools in Iowa
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data · Updated October 17, 2026
17 colleges and trade schools in Iowa reported 58 electrician, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), plumbing or construction programs with graduates in the latest two reported years, according to the federal College Scorecard. For each one you can see how many certificates or degrees it awarded, what graduates typically earned a year and four years later, and what a year at the school costs after grants.
Electrician programs in Iowa
14 programs at 9 schools. Listed by graduates' pay one year after finishing, then by size; click any column heading to sort by it, and click again to reverse.
All 14 programs
| School | Program | Graduates 2023–24 | Typical pay 1 year after | Typical pay 4 years after | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Iowa Community CollegeSheldon · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 50 | $78,712 | $96,897 | $12,665 |
| Northwest Iowa Community CollegeSheldon · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 28 | $76,164 | $82,018 | $12,665 |
| Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltown · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 94 | $63,017 | — | $7,234 |
| Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltown · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 5 | $56,427 | — | $7,234 |
| Southwestern Community CollegeCreston · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 40 | — | — | $12,751 |
| Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 32 | — | — | $7,005 |
| Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 29 | — | — | $12,725 |
| Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 14 | — | $56,022 | $11,757 |
| Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 11 | — | — | $10,553 |
| Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 10 | — | — | $16,324 |
| Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 9 | — | — | $11,757 |
| Southwestern Community CollegeCreston · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 9 | — | — | $12,751 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 9 | — | $49,520 | $9,042 |
| Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 1 | — | — | $12,725 |
Nationally, the typical pay one year after finishing was $44,469 for certificate programs; $55,611 for associate degree programs.
Iowa electrician license: hours, exam and costs
HVAC programs in Iowa
14 programs at 11 schools. Listed by graduates' pay one year after finishing, then by size; click any column heading to sort by it, and click again to reverse.
All 14 programs
| School | Program | Graduates 2023–24 | Typical pay 1 year after | Typical pay 4 years after | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 17 | $47,873 | — | $15,128 |
| North Iowa Area Community CollegeMason City · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 10 | $44,747 | — | $8,510 |
| Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 16 | $43,629 | — | $12,073 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 28 | $41,795 | $51,294 | $9,042 |
| Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 20 | — | — | $16,324 |
| Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 17 | — | — | $7,005 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 11 | — | — | $12,958 |
| Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 9 | — | — | $12,725 |
| Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 6 | — | — | $11,505 |
| Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 4 | — | — | $7,005 |
| Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 2 | — | — | $11,757 |
| Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 1 | — | — | $10,553 |
| Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 1 | — | — | $10,553 |
| North Iowa Area Community CollegeMason City · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 0 | — | — | $8,510 |
Nationally, the typical pay one year after finishing was $42,278 for certificate programs; $48,589 for associate degree programs.
Iowa HVAC license: hours, exam and costs
Plumbing programs in Iowa
4 programs at 4 schools. Listed by graduates' pay one year after finishing, then by size; click any column heading to sort by it, and click again to reverse.
All 4 programs
| School | Program | Graduates 2023–24 | Typical pay 1 year after | Typical pay 4 years after | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 20 | — | — | $16,324 |
| Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 15 | — | — | $12,073 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 12 | — | — | $9,042 |
| Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 1 | — | — | $11,757 |
Nationally, the typical pay one year after finishing was $41,980 for certificate programs.
Iowa plumbing license: hours, exam and costs
Construction programs in Iowa
26 programs at 16 schools. Listed by graduates' pay one year after finishing, then by size; click any column heading to sort by it, and click again to reverse.
All 26 programs
| School | Program | Graduates 2023–24 | Typical pay 1 year after | Typical pay 4 years after | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Northern IowaCedar Falls · Public · Scorecard | Bachelor's degreeConstruction Management | 36 | $72,653 | $85,688 | $16,038 |
| Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeConstruction Management | 17 | $55,334 | $64,917 | $12,073 |
| Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Management | 92 | — | — | $12,073 |
| Southwestern Community CollegeCreston · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 29 | — | — | $12,751 |
| Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Trades, General | 27 | — | — | $16,324 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 21 | — | $62,497 | $9,042 |
| North Iowa Area Community CollegeMason City · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 20 | — | — | $8,510 |
| Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeCarpenters | 14 | — | — | $7,005 |
| Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 13 | — | $50,349 | $7,005 |
| Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeCarpenters | 12 | — | — | $15,128 |
| Southeastern Community CollegeWest Burlington · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 12 | — | — | $12,346 |
| Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeConstruction Management | 11 | — | — | $16,324 |
| Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 10 | — | — | $12,725 |
| Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 9 | — | — | $11,505 |
| Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 9 | — | — | $12,073 |
| Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 6 | — | — | $11,757 |
| Southeastern Community CollegeWest Burlington · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeCarpenters | 5 | — | — | $12,346 |
| Dordt UniversitySioux Center · Private nonprofit · Scorecard | Bachelor's degreeConstruction Management | 3 | — | — | $25,944 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 3 | — | — | $12,958 |
| Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeCarpenters | 2 | — | — | $11,505 |
| Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltown · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Trades, General | 2 | — | — | $7,234 |
| Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville · Public · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 1 | — | — | $10,553 |
| Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeCarpenters | 1 | — | — | $10,553 |
| Southwestern Community CollegeCreston · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeCarpenters | 1 | — | — | $12,751 |
| Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Management | 0 | — | — | $16,324 |
| Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeConstruction Trades, General | 0 | — | — | $12,073 |
Nationally, the typical pay one year after finishing was $39,348 for certificate programs in construction trades, general; $74,049 for associate degree programs in construction trades, general; $35,931 for certificate programs in carpenters; $39,626 for associate degree programs in carpenters; $59,911 for certificate programs in construction management; $58,990 for associate degree programs in construction management; $75,379 for bachelor's degree programs in construction management.
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How to read these numbers
- Where they come from: the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Schools report their programs and graduates; the pay figures come from federal tax records.
- Graduates: the number of certificates or degrees the school reported awarding in that field in the 2023–24 school year. Programs with no graduates in the two latest reported years (2022–23 and 2023–24) are left out.
- Typical pay: the median yearly earnings (wages plus self-employment income) of graduates who were working and not back in school. The 1-year figure is for people who finished in 2020–21 or 2021–22; the 4-year figure is for people who finished in 2017–18 or 2018–19. Both are in 2024 dollars.
- Who's counted: only graduates who got federal student aid (federal grants or student loans). Graduates who didn't get federal aid aren't in the figures, so the numbers may not describe every graduate.
- A dash (—) means the Department didn't publish a figure. For pay, that's usually because too few graduates were measured, so the figure is withheld to protect their privacy. Most small programs have no pay figure.
- Yearly cost after grants: the school's average net price: a year's tuition, fees, books and living costs, minus the average grant and scholarship aid, for full-time students starting college for the first time who got federal aid (at public schools, only students paying in-state tuition). At most colleges it's an average across all programs, not the one listed; at schools that enroll students year-round instead of by semester, it's for the school's largest program, and for a program shorter than a year it's the cost of the whole program. A school's own net price calculator, if it has one, gives a closer estimate.
- Program names follow the federal list of fields of study. "Electrical" includes power line worker programs; "construction" includes general construction trades, carpentry, building finishing and inspection, construction technology and construction management.
Sources (3)
- College Scorecard data (field of study and institution files, through the College Scorecard API), U.S. Department of Education. Data as of October 17, 2026.
- Technical documentation: field of study data, U.S. Department of Education, October 2026 version.
- College Scorecard data dictionary, U.S. Department of Education.