Career Training Path › LPN / LVN programs › Iowa
LPN / LVN programs in Iowa
Iowa has 15 accredited campuses awarding lpn credentials. If you finish and work as a licensed practical nurse in Iowa, expect to start around $50,550–$56,400 and reach a median of $62,630 with experience; the top quarter earn $70,840 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Iowa). Graduates of these Iowa programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $36,914 in their first year, against $37,410 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn in Iowa
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 5,510 employed in Iowa. National median: $64,400.
Campuses in Iowa, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AnkenyCalmarCedar RapidsCouncil BluffsCrestonDavenportEsthervilleFort DodgeIowa FallsMarshalltownMason CityOttumwaSheldonSioux CityWest Burlington
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Iowa Community College District | Davenport | Public | 19 | $44,204 | $14,236 | 45% | not reported |
| North Iowa Area Community College | Mason City | Public | 14 | $42,449 | not reported | 61% | not reported |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | Calmar | Public | 83 | $36,914 | $13,000 | 51% | not reported |
| Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge | Public | 77 | $35,521 | $12,986 | 42% | not reported |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College | Sioux City | Public | 102 | $34,298 | $8,931 | 50% | not reported |
| Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny | Public | 1,216 | not reported | not reported | 39% | not reported |
| Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids | Public | 143 | not reported | not reported | 43% | not reported |
| Iowa Western Community College | Council Bluffs | Public | 83 | not reported | $12,229 | 40% | not reported |
| Southeastern Community College | West Burlington | Public | 64 | not reported | $11,324 | 44% | not reported |
| Southwestern Community College | Creston | Public | 43 | not reported | $9,500 | 59% | not reported |
| Northwest Iowa Community College | Sheldon | Public | 38 | not reported | $11,000 | 58% | not reported |
| Marshalltown Community College | Marshalltown | Public | 17 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Indian Hills Community College | Ottumwa | Public | 15 | not reported | $13,000 | 40% | not reported |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | Estherville | Public | 11 | not reported | not reported | 50% | not reported |
| Ellsworth Community College | Iowa Falls | Public | 10 | not reported | not reported | 38% | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.