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Iowa Lakes Community College

Estherville, Iowa · Public community college

Auto mechanic schoolsLPN / LVN programsElectrician schoolsWelding schoolsMassage therapy schoolsConstruction trades programsCosmetology schoolsHVAC schoolsMedical assistant programs
50%completion rate · Iowa avg 64%
$12,000median debt of graduates
$37,209median earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$43,108median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
not reportedannual cost of attendance
Yesfederal aid (FAFSA / Pell) eligible
Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing | Higher Learning Commission (Accredited)
Address: 19 S 7th St, Estherville, IA 51334 · Phone: (712) 362-2601 · School website ↗ · Verify on College Scorecard ↗
Accountability record (federal accreditation database, last 36 months; Department of Education oversight)
No accreditor sanctions in the last 36 months
Sanctions are probation, warning, show-cause and loss-of-accreditation actions by any recognized accreditor, including program-specific accreditors (a nursing-program probation counts for the campus). Routine monitoring reviews and voluntary withdrawals are not counted. Ask the school what the action concerned and how it was resolved.
Completion rate vs. benchmarks
Iowa Lakes Community … Iowa Lakes Community …: 50% 50% Iowa average Iowa average: 63.6% 63.6% National average National average: 62.1% 62.1%

What these trades pay once you're working

OccupationStarting (10th pct)MedianExperienced (75th)
Automotive service technicians and mechanics$36,100$50,510$67,200
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses$50,550$62,630$70,840
Electricians$39,770$60,860$79,970
Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers$45,590$55,090$60,200
Massage therapists$37,560$57,710$76,090
Construction laborers$38,180$48,490$58,470
Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists$26,650$35,700$48,580
HVAC and refrigeration mechanics and installers$43,040$60,680$75,950
Medical assistants$36,730$45,480$48,030

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wages for everyone employed in the occupation in Iowa (May 2025; national where the state figure is not published). The program table below shows what this campus's own graduates earned in their first year, whatever job they took.

Trade programs at this campus

ProgramCredentialGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Earnings, yr 2Median debt
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Certificate, 1–2 years 11 not reported not reported not reported
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Associate degree 8 not reported not reported not reported
Precision Metal Working Certificate, 1–2 years 7 not reported not reported not reported
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate degree 7 not reported $33,993 not reported
Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services Certificate, 1–2 years 6 not reported $24,035 not reported
Carpenters Associate degree 4 not reported not reported not reported
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services Associate degree 3 not reported not reported not reported
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate degree 3 not reported $33,993 not reported
Carpenters Certificate, 1–2 years 2 not reported not reported not reported
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate degree 2 not reported $33,993 not reported
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Certificate, 1–2 years 1 not reported not reported not reported
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) Associate degree 1 not reported not reported 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.

Graduates per year from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey. Earnings and debt are College Scorecard field-of-study medians for graduates of this program at this campus (reported at the 4-digit program level, so closely related programs share a figure); "not reported" means too few graduates were counted to publish a figure.

Visit the school's website ↗

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Data: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026. Figures are the U.S. Department of Education's official measures, not Career Training Path's opinion. Tuition, schedules and program availability change — confirm with the school before enrolling.

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