RetrainMap / Training costs by state / Iowa / Nursing assistant (CNA)
Free · the federal list, by published cost · Iowa
Nursing-assistant (CNA) programs in Iowa on the federal training list, by published cost
33 programs in Iowa’s Training Provider Results index carry one of the occupation codes for Nursing assistant (CNA) (31-1131, 31-1120, 31-1122). Published costs run from $15 to $11,925; 0 programs report no cost and sit at the end. Sorted by the cost each provider reported — “cheapest” here means the lowest published figure on the federal list on the snapshot date, not a verdict on quality, and never a price you are promised. Snapshot taken 2026-09-02.
| # | Published cost basis | Program (provider’s page) · credential · code | Provider · city | Length | Exited | Completed | Employed Q2 after exit | Median earnings, Q2 (one quarter) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15 | Certified Nurse Aide | EICCD - SCC-Urban Center | 4 wk · 40 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $15 | Nurse Aide | Southeastern Community College | 8 wk · 40 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $529 | Certified Medication Aide Hybrid | Hawkeye Community College | 12 wk · 5 hrs | 668 | 67% | 91% | $9,611 |
| 4 | $585 | Medication Aide | Iowa Western Community College | 3 wk · 24 hrs | 75 | — | 45% | $9,011 |
| 5 | $675 | Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) *CNA.CPC | Northeast Iowa Community College | 7 wk · 14 hrs | 1,830 | 72% | 73% | $4,410 |
| 6 | $715 | Nurse Aide Training | Kirkwood Community College | 6 wk · 17 hrs | 361 | 75% | 80% | $4,979 |
| 7 | $750 | Direct Support Professional *DSP.CPC | Northeast Iowa Community College | 8 wk · 5 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $775 | Nurse Aide Hybrid Training | Kirkwood Community College | 6 wk · 17 hrs | 26 | 42% | 80% | $7,676 |
| 9 | $787 | 75 Hour Nurse Aide | Iowa Central Community College | 15 wk · 5 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | $820 | Certified Nurse Aide (75 hr Nurse Aide Instruction) 6010009 (Continuing Education) | Eastern Iowa Community Colleges | 6 wk · 13 hrs | 1,165 | 48% | 63% | $5,616 |
| 11 | $850 | Nurse Assistant Basic 75-Hour Course | American Institute of Caring | 2 wk · 40 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | $907 | Nurse Aide - Certificate | Iowa Western Community College | 2 wk · 38 hrs | 178 | 69% | 65% | $4,284 |
| 13 | $950 | Certified Nurse Aide | Southwestern Community College | 6 wk · 13 hrs | 992 | 41% | 71% | $3,767 |
| 14 | $999 | Prepare to Care: Health Support Professional | Hawkeye Community College | 10 wk · 8 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | $1,060 | CNA | Southeastern Community College | 6 wk · 15 hrs | 824 | 80% | 60% | $5,059 |
| 16 | $1,095 | Nurse Aide Training Program | IGNITE Pathways Regional Center | 5 wk · 15 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | $1,099 | HeartCert CNA | HeartCert | 4 wk · 14 hrs | 46 | 91% | 86% | $6,148 |
| 18 | $1,104 | CE Certified Nurse Aide | Iowa Lakes Community College | 6 wk · 13 hrs | 371 | 12% | 64% | $8,230 |
| 19 | $1,139 | Advanced Nurse Aide Certificate | Des Moines Area Community College | 16 wk · 5 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | $1,175 | Certified Nursing Assistant | Hawkeye Community College | 8 wk · 12 hrs | 1,318 | 41% | 49% | $7,175 |
| 21 | $1,226 | Nurse Aide Certificate | North Iowa Area Community College | 6 wk · 17 hrs | 510 | 88% | 70% | $4,108 |
| 22 | $1,247 | Nurse Aide Phase 1 or 76 Hour Nurse Aide - Non-Credit | Iowa Valley Community College District | 8 wk · 10 hrs | 145 | 32% | 67% | $5,656 |
| 23 | $1,289 | Nurse Aide | Indian Hills Community College | 4 wk · 30 hrs | 841 | 20% | 66% | $6,846 |
| 24 | $1,294 | Nurse Aide Certificate | Des Moines Area Community College | 16 wk · 5 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | $1,339 | Medication Aide - Certificate | Western Iowa Tech Community College | 6 wk · 10 hrs | 1,108 | 94% | 67% | $3,832 |
| 26 | $1,400 | Nursing Assistant - Certificate of Completion toward Iowa State Licensure | Western Iowa Tech Community College | 4 wk · 19 hrs | 1,186 | 87% | 3% | $2,593 |
| 27 | $1,407 | Nurse Aide - Certificate | Iowa Western Community College | 16 wk · 9 hrs | 254 | 31% | 5% | $5,281 |
| 28 | $1,497 | CE Certified Medication Aide | Iowa Lakes Community College | 4 wk · 13 hrs | 21 | 43% | 89% | $11,633 |
| 29 | $1,821 | Mental Health Technician | Iowa Western Community College | 11 wk · 16 hrs | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | $1,973 | Nursing Assistant CNA - Certificate | Western Iowa Tech Community College | 6 wk · 14 hrs | 482 | 75% | 60% | $8,252 |
| 31 | $11,314 | Practical Nursing - Diploma | Iowa Western Community College | 32 wk · 30 hrs | 227 | — | 57% | $7,698 |
| 32 | $11,904 | Practical Nursing | Southeastern Community College | 40 wk · 29 hrs | 344 | 70% | 70% | $5,648 |
| 33 | $11,925 | Practical Nursing - Diploma; National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX- PN) Licensure | Iowa Western Community College | 44 wk · 22 hrs | 337 | 86% | 41% | $7,326 |
Source and date: U.S. Department of Labor, Training Provider Results — the open program index behind trainingproviderresults.gov, snapshot taken 2026-09-02 (1,103 programs for Iowa in the index that day); the site states the data cover programs approved as of June 30, 2025 and outcomes for July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2025. Cost is Out-of-Pocket Cost for a Non-WIOA Participant: Tuition and Requested Fees (DE111) where the provider reported it, otherwise Average number of dollars the training program received from each WIOA participant Individual Training Account (ITA) during the time period (DE138/DE135) — the basis is printed under each figure; books and supplies are added only when reported separately. “Completed” = Percent of All Students who completed the program (DE122/DE121); “Employed Q2” = Percent of All Students Exiters who were employed in the 2nd Quarter after Exit (DE123/DE129); “Median earnings” = Median Earnings in the 2nd Quarter after Exit of All Students that are Employed in the 2nd Quarter after Exit (DE125) — one calendar quarter, not a year. A dash means the federal file prints −1: Values displayed as "-1" indicate data that have been suppressed to protect confidentiality. Your local job center decides eligibility — this shows what is on the list and what it cost and produced, not whether you will be approved.
The list is free. The ranking by what each program produced is $39.
This page sorts nursing-assistant (CNA) programs in Iowa by the cost their providers published. The Retraining ROI report takes one target occupation and one state, ranks every listed program by the employment its completers reported, and — if you give your current pay — prints a payback estimate per program with its basis. Built on order from the same federal record; free sample on that page.
The $39 ROI report Free funding finder The $19 Directions plan
Other program types in Iowa: CDL truck driving · Medical assistant · LPN / LVN · Registered nurse (RN) · Phlebotomy · EMT / paramedic · Dental assistant · Pharmacy technician · Medical billing and coding · Surgical technologist · Radiologic technologist · Veterinary technician · HVAC · Welding · Electrician · Plumbing · Automotive technician · IT support · Cosmetology.