WELD · IA

Welding Schools in Iowa

16 schools in Iowa reported welding graduates for 2023-24, 1,002 awards in all. Sorted by number of graduates.

Des Moines Area Community College

2006 Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 333
AUTO 111
ELEC 32
CARP 27
HVAC 21
DSL 18
BODY 15
CNC 10

Grads 2023-24: 333 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $6,030
Median pay 1 yr out: $53,940 undergraduate certificate

Eastern Iowa Community College District

101 W Third Street, Davenport, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 153
AUTO 48
DSL 12
HVAC 11
CNC 7
CARP 3

Grads 2023-24: 153 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $5,016
Median pay 1 yr out: $61,035 undergraduate certificate

Iowa Western Community College

2700 College Rd, Council Bluffs, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 82
A&P 28
DSL 28
CNST 27
HVAC 20
PLMB 20
AUTO 18
ELEC 10

Grads 2023-24: 82 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $7,050
Median pay 1 yr out: $44,556 undergraduate certificate

Marshalltown Community College

3700 S Center St, Marshalltown, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 63
LINE 42
AUTO 10
IMT 3
CNST 2
CNC 2

Grads 2023-24: 63 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $5,664
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $43,170

Indian Hills Community College

525 Grandview Ave, Ottumwa, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 56
AUTO 16
CARP 11
CNC 9
IMT 7
A&P 6
DSL 6
HVAC 6

Grads 2023-24: 56 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $5,232
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $45,714

Kirkwood Community College

6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 48
AUTO 98
IMT 47
CNC 19
HVAC 16
PLMB 15
CARP 9
DSL 7
BODY 6

Grads 2023-24: 48 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $6,288
Median pay 1 yr out: $46,467 associate degree

Southeastern Community College

1500 West Agency Road, West Burlington, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 46
IMT 43
CARP 17
AUTO 11
BODY 8

Grads 2023-24: 46 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $6,660
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $41,635

Iowa Central Community College

One Triton Circle, Fort Dodge, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 44
ELEC 30
DSL 27
IMT 12
AUTO 11
CARP 10
BODY 9
HVAC 9
CNC 1

Grads 2023-24: 44 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $7,050
Median pay 1 yr out: $42,912 undergraduate certificate

Southwestern Community College

1501 West Townline Street, Creston, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 40
ELEC 49
CARP 30
AUTO 26
IMT 16
BODY 12

Grads 2023-24: 40 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $8,352
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $43,908

Hawkeye Community College

1501 E Orange Rd, Waterloo, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 39
CNC 37
HVAC 17
BODY 14
AUTO 12
CARP 12
DSL 8

Grads 2023-24: 39 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $6,786
Median pay 1 yr out: $44,101 undergraduate certificate

North Iowa Area Community College

500 College Dr, Mason City, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 30
CARP 20
IMT 14
AUTO 11
DSL 10
HVAC 10

Grads 2023-24: 30 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $6,803
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $44,685

Western Iowa Tech Community College

4647 Stone Ave, Sioux City, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 29
BODY 52
AUTO 51
HVAC 28
CARP 21
CDL 15
PLMB 12
ELEC 9

Grads 2023-24: 29 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $5,306
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $44,484

Iowa Lakes Community College

19 S 7th St, Estherville, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 14
ELEC 11
IMT 9
CARP 2
HVAC 2
AUTO 1

Grads 2023-24: 14 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $7,616
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $47,167

Northeast Iowa Community College

1625 Hwy 150, Calmar, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 11
ELEC 23
AUTO 16
IMT 14
DSL 8
CARP 6
CNC 3
HVAC 2
PLMB 1

Grads 2023-24: 11 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $7,020
Median pay 1 yr out: $47,678 undergraduate certificate

Northwest Iowa Community College

603 W Park St, Sheldon, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 11
LINE 67
AUTO 19
DSL 13
ELEC 11
HEO 11

Grads 2023-24: 11 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $7,500
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $56,288

Ellsworth Community College

1100 College Ave, Iowa Falls, IA · Public, 2-year

WELD 3

Grads 2023-24: 3 welding
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $5,664
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $43,267

Welding Schools by city

Licensing in Iowa

Requirements are set by Iowa (and sometimes your city), not by the school. Look up the current rules for welders on CareerOneStop's License Finder for Iowa. General path: Welding Schools overview.

BLS puts the median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Iowa at $55,090 (middle 80% from $45,590 to $65,250), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Questions, answered from the data

How many welding schools are there in Iowa?

16 schools in Iowa reported welding graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 1,002 awards in all (957 undergraduate certificates, 45 associate degrees).

How much does welding school cost in Iowa?

At schools that price by program, public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $6,723 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.

How much does a welder make in Iowa?

The BLS median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Iowa was $55,090 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $45,590 and the top 10% over $65,250.

What do welding graduates earn right after school?

Across 6 schools in Iowa with College Scorecard data, the median of their graduates' median earnings one year after a certificate was $46,117. Scorecard reports this for the broader program family and only for federally aided graduates.

All trade schools in Iowa

Sources: IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Directory (HD2024), NCES; College Scorecard institution data (2025-26 charges, released Nov 2, 2026) and field-of-study data (Oct 15, 2026); FMCSA Training Provider Registry (as of 2026-11-02); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked 2026-11-02. How we build this list.