Iowa · 35 schools · 2025 NCLEX
Nursing Schools in Iowa: All 54 Approved Programs & NCLEX Pass Rates
Part of Nursing in Iowa — schools, RN and NP pay, and licensing on one page.
Iowa has 35 schools running 54 board-approved nursing programs — 39 RN-track and 15 PN/LPN-track. The average 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across Iowa programs is 86.9%, 0.4 points above the national average of 86.5%. Every row below comes straight from the state board of nursing's published approved-program list — not self-reported school marketing.
- 54
- Approved programs
- 35
- Schools
- 86.9%
- Avg RN pass rate (2025)
- 86.5%
- National RN average
Rank it your way
Rank Iowa’s 36 RN programs on what matters to you
NCLEX pass rate, graduation rate, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.
Best Nursing Schools in Iowa by NCLEX Pass Rate
Top RN programs ranked by 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, among programs with a published 2025 rate. Rates are one year of data — check multi-year trends before deciding.
Pass rate isn’t everything: the NurseSavvy top 10 in Iowa →- 1100%
- 2100%Ottumwa · ADN
- 3100%Orange City · BSN
- 4100%Sioux City · BSN
- 598.4%Calmar · ADN
- 697%Decorah · BA
- 796.9%Estherville · ADN
- 895.8%Cedar Rapids · BSN
- 995.5%Iowa City · MSN: Entry Into Practice
- 1094.7%Waterloo · BSN
What Nursing School Costs in Iowa — and What Graduates Earn
Tuition, admissions and graduate-earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, matched to 30 of 35 Iowa schools. Earnings are program-level — the median for graduates of that school's own nursing program, not all its alumni.
Median federal loan debt for BSN graduates in Iowa is $25,745 (14 programs). Sticker tuition is the whole school's published price, not the nursing program's alone, and it ignores aid — the number that decides whether a program pays off is what you actually pay plus the wages you give up while enrolled. Check if nursing school is worth it for you or read the full cost of becoming an RN.
Every Approved Nursing Program in Iowa
Sort by any column, filter RN vs PN/LPN, or search a school or city. Want cost, local RN pay, and outcomes in one view? .
54 of 54 programs · “—” = not published for that program · tuition is the school’s published in-state price for one year, before aid; grad pay is the median for that program’s own graduates, one year out
| Allen College | Waterloo | BSNRN | — | $65,924 | 94.7% |
| Briar Cliff University | Sioux City | BSNRN | $36,956 | — | 83.3% |
| Clarke University | Dubuque | BSNRN | $40,910 | $62,676 | 91.7% |
| Coe College | Cedar Rapids | BSNRN | $54,666 | $67,769 | 80% |
| Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) | — | ADNRN | — | — | 91.1% |
| Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) | — | LPNPN | — | — | 90.9% |
| Dordt University | Sioux Center | BSNRN | $37,050 | $71,680 | 69.6% |
| Drake University | Des Moines | BSNRN | $52,130 | — | 72.2% |
| Eastern Iowa Community College | — | ADNRN | $4,848 | $62,338 | 70.1% |
| Eastern Iowa Community College | — | LPNPN | $4,848 | $45,662 | 84.4% |
| Graceland University | — | BSNRN | — | — | 100% |
| Grand View University | Des Moines | BSNRN | $34,762 | $64,042 | 86.1% |
| Hawkeye Community College | Waterloo | ADNRN | $6,525 | $58,835 | 59.2% |
| Hawkeye Community College | Waterloo | LPNPN | $6,525 | — | 76.9% |
| Indian Hills Community College | Ottumwa | ADNRN | $5,040 | $56,923 | 100% |
| Indian Hills Community College | Ottumwa | LPNPN | $5,040 | — | 100% |
| Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge | ADNRN | $5,496 | $56,562 | 83.2% |
| Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge | LPNPN | $5,496 | — | 94.6% |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | Estherville | ADNRN | $7,392 | $61,157 | 96.9% |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | Estherville | LPNPN | $7,392 | — | 100% |
| Iowa Valley Community College | — | ADNRN | — | — | 84% |
| Iowa Valley Community College | — | LPNPN | — | — | 100% |
| Iowa Western Community College | Council Bluffs | ADNRN | $6,930 | $65,268 | 83.8% |
| Iowa Western Community College | Council Bluffs | LPNPN | $6,930 | $33,043 | 94.6% |
| Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids | ADNRN | $6,176 | $64,461 | 94.7% |
| Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids | LPNPN | $6,176 | — | 98.2% |
| Luther College | Decorah | BARN | $52,120 | — | 97% |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences | Des Moines | BSNRN | $17,664 | $66,309 | 88.1% |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences | Des Moines | LPN/ADNRN | $17,664 | $63,867 | 81.8% |
| Morningside University | Sioux City | BSNRN | $39,660 | $68,397 | 89.5% |
| Mount Mercy University | Cedar Rapids | BSNRN | $40,878 | $66,647 | 95.8% |
| North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) | — | ADNRN | — | — | 90% |
| North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) | — | LPNPN | — | — | 100% |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | Calmar | ADNRN | $6,780 | — | 98.4% |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | Calmar | LPNPN | $6,780 | — | 100% |
| Northwest Iowa Community College | Sheldon | ADNRN | $7,350 | $62,453 | 91.4% |
| Northwest Iowa Community College | Sheldon | LPNPN | $7,350 | — | 93.5% |
| Northwestern College | Orange City | BSNRN | $36,710 | $71,479 | 100% |
| Purdue University Global | — | ASNRN | — | — | 77.1% |
| Southeastern Community College | West Burlington | ADNRN | $6,420 | $61,159 | 92.7% |
| Southeastern Community College | West Burlington | LPNPN | $6,420 | — | 95.8% |
| Southwestern Community College | Creston | ADNRN | $8,064 | $63,505 | 93.9% |
| Southwestern Community College | Creston | LPNPN | $8,064 | — | 100% |
| St. Ambrose University | Davenport | BSNRN | $36,658 | $66,151 | 84.4% |
| St. Ambrose University | Davenport | LPN/RN-BSNRN | $36,658 | $66,151 | — |
| St. Luke's College | Sioux City | ASNRN | $24,175 | — | 78.6% |
| St. Luke's College | Sioux City | BSNRN | $24,175 | $71,064 | 100% |
| University of Dubuque | Dubuque | BSNRN | $42,095 | $66,628 | 89.5% |
| University of Iowa | Iowa City | BSNRN | $11,283 | $69,368 | 94.2% |
| University of Iowa | Iowa City | MSN: Entry Into PracticeRN | $11,283 | — | 95.5% |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls | BSNRN | $9,936 | — | — |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College | Sioux City | ADNRN | $5,186 | $63,214 | 87.5% |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College | Sioux City | LPNPN | $5,186 | $29,348 | 87.8% |
| William Penn University | Oskaloosa | BSNRN | $29,750 | — | 50% |
Whichever school you choose, the NCLEX is the finish line
The pass rates above are made by students, not buildings. Students who do well start NCLEX-style practice in their first semester — studying for class exams and the boards at the same time. NurseSavvy turns your own course materials into matched NCLEX practice questions from day one — free to try, then $9.99/mo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best nursing school in Iowa by NCLEX pass rate?
4 RN programs in Iowa tied for the highest 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate at 100%, including Graceland University — see the full ranked list above, among programs with a published 2025 rate on the state board's list.
How many nursing schools are in Iowa?
Iowa has 35 schools offering 54 board-approved nursing programs: 39 RN-track (ADN/BSN and similar) and 15 PN/LPN-track programs, per the state board of nursing's current approved-program list.
What is the average NCLEX pass rate in Iowa?
Across Iowa RN programs with a published 2025 rate, the average first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is 86.9% — 0.4 points above the national average of 86.5%.
How much does nursing school cost in Iowa?
Across Iowa nursing schools we could match to U.S. Department of Education data, median published in-state tuition and fees run $6,653 a year at public schools (14 schools) and $37,050 at private nonprofits (15 schools). That is the whole institution's sticker price per year, before aid — an ADN takes about two years and a BSN four, and most students pay less than sticker. Per-school figures are in the table above.
What do nursing graduates in Iowa earn?
Federal earnings data tracks graduates of each specific nursing program. In Iowa, median earnings one year after finishing are $62,396 for ADN graduates (12 programs) and $67,208 for BSN graduates (14 programs). These are medians of program-level medians and the federal figures lag by a few years, so treat them as a floor for comparison between schools rather than a salary prediction.
What does a first-time NCLEX pass rate tell me about a school?
It is the share of a program’s graduates who passed the NCLEX on their first attempt — the single most comparable public outcome number nursing programs report. Boards of nursing track it for program approval, and consistently low rates can put a program on conditional status. Compare it alongside cost, location, and program length, not in isolation.
About this data
Program list and 2025 first-time NCLEX pass rates are taken directly from the Iowa board of nursing's published approved-program materials. “—” means the board did not publish a 2025 rate for that program (new programs, small cohorts, or PN lists without rate tables). Pass rates refresh annually; this page is rebuilt from the board lists when they update.
Tuition, admission rates, graduate earnings and debt come from the U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts, June 10 2026 data release), matched by school name and city to 30 of 35 Iowa schools. Schools the federal data does not cover — hospital-based programs and schools outside federal student-aid reporting — show “—” rather than an estimate. Tuition and admission rates describe the whole institution; earnings and debt are specific to its nursing programs, by credential, and lag the current graduating class by several years.
- collegescorecard.ed.gov — Most Recent Cohorts, June 10 2026 data release
- dial.iowa.gov — list: Live page as of July 12, 2026 (IBON 'Iowa Nursing Education Programs' approved list); pass rate CY2025 first-time (IBON RN/LPN Program Data 2025, NCSBN)
Nursing schools in other states
Keep going
- State guideNursing in IowaIowa in one page: 35 nursing schools and their NCLEX pass rates, RN pay (median 78,630), NP pay, and compact-license status — each with its source.
- Degree pathwayADN vs BSNBoth degrees lead to the same RN license. Here is how associate and bachelor’s programs actually compare on NCLEX pass rates, graduate debt, and earnings.
- GuideADN vs BSN: Which Nursing Program Should You Choose?Compare ADN and prelicensure BSN pathways by time, total cost, admission, clinical logistics, employer expectations, and bridge options—not prestige alone.
- FinderCheapest RN programs in the U.S.The lowest-cost RN programs nationally, with their NCLEX pass rates alongside.
- FinderCompare nursing schoolsPut any nursing programs side by side on pass rate, cost, and outcomes.
- GuideHow Competitive Is Nursing School Admission?Estimate nursing-school competitiveness using seats, qualified applicants, point rubrics, recent cutoffs, attrition, and the parts of your application you can still change.