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Medication aide training in Iowa

9 medication aide programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

8 schools offer these medication aide programs, and Iowa has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Medication aides are nursing assistants who give residents and patients their medication. Whether a nursing assistant may do so depends on their training and their state, and some states offer an added credential for it, such as Certified Medication Assistant (CMA).1

In Iowa, 3 of the 9 programs take students without a high school diploma, 2 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 4 ask for earlier courses first.

All 9 are the same kind of program: medication aide course.

See the 9 programs

How much does medication aide training cost in Iowa?

$449 to $585 is what most medication aide programs in Iowa cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 9 programs with a price. All of them: $129 to $1,497

In the typical program

Finished the program
71%
Working 6 months later
95%
Earned a year, estimated
about $35,000
Length
4 to 7 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Iowa may also offer medication aide training. How these figures are made

Is there free medication aide training in Iowa?

All 9 medication aide programs in Iowa approved for WIOA funding

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Kind of program
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9 programs

  • Medication aide courseHybridEducation and courses

    Certified Medication Aide

    Hawkeye Community College

    Waterloo

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Hawkeye Community College, WaterlooMedication aide course · Accredited schoolHybrid · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimated$37,200
    Price if you pay yourself$499
    Program website, Certified Medication Aide at Hawkeye Community College
    More details about Certified Medication Aide at Hawkeye Community College
    Finished
    58%
    Working at 6 months
    96%
    Earned in a quarter
    $9,299
    Length
    10 weeks, 6 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    524
    Earned a year, estimated
    $37,200
    Price if you pay yourself
    $499
    Program website, Certified Medication Aide at Hawkeye Community College
  • Medication aide courseIn personNo diploma needed

    Medication Aide - Certification

    Northeast Community College

    Norfolk, NE

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Northeast Community College, Norfolk, NEMedication aide course · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Classes are outside Iowa; Iowa approved the program for its funding.

    Earned a year, estimated$15,800
    Price if you pay yourself$384
    Program website, Medication Aide - Certification at Northeast Community College
    More details about Medication Aide - Certification at Northeast Community College
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    78%
    Earned in a quarter
    $3,961
    Length
    2 weeks, 23 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $138
    Students counted
    413
    Earned a year, estimated
    $15,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    $384
    Program website, Medication Aide - Certification at Northeast Community College
  • Medication aide courseIn personNo diploma needed

    Medication Aide

    Kirkwood Community College

    Cedar Rapids

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Kirkwood Community College, Cedar RapidsMedication aide course · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$42,900
    Price if you pay yourself$475
    Program website, Medication Aide at Kirkwood Community College
    More details about Medication Aide at Kirkwood Community College
    Finished
    51%
    Working at 6 months
    96%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,734
    Length
    9 weeks, 6 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    219
    Earned a year, estimated
    $42,900
    Price if you pay yourself
    $475
    Program website, Medication Aide at Kirkwood Community College
  • Medication aide courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Medication Aide - Certificate

    Western Iowa Tech Community College

    Sioux City

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux CityMedication aide course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$15,000
    Price if you pay yourself$642
    Program website, Medication Aide - Certificate at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    More details about Medication Aide - Certificate at Western Iowa Tech Community College
    Finished
    91%
    Working at 6 months
    79%
    Earned in a quarter
    $3,756
    Length
    6 weeks, 10 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $697
    Students counted
    171
    Earned a year, estimated
    $15,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $642
    Program website, Medication Aide - Certificate at Western Iowa Tech Community College
  • Medication aide courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Certified Medication Aide

    Iowa Central Community College

    Fort Dodge

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Iowa Central Community College, Fort DodgeMedication aide course · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$46,100
    Price if you pay yourself$549
    Program website, Certified Medication Aide at Iowa Central Community College
    More details about Certified Medication Aide at Iowa Central Community College
    Finished
    38%
    Working at 6 months
    100%
    Earned in a quarter
    $11,535
    Length
    5 weeks, 11 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $80
    Students counted
    55
    Earned a year, estimated
    $46,100
    Price if you pay yourself
    $549
    Program website, Certified Medication Aide at Iowa Central Community College
  • Medication aide courseIn personPrerequisite courses

    Medication Aide 6180001 (Continuing Education)

    Eastern Iowa Community Colleges

    Davenport

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, DavenportMedication aide course · Accredited schoolIn person · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimated$32,900
    Price if you pay yourself$449
    Program website, Medication Aide 6180001 (Continuing Education) at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
    More details about Medication Aide 6180001 (Continuing Education) at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
    Finished
    85%
    Working at 6 months
    94%
    Earned in a quarter
    $8,213
    Length
    7 weeks, 8 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    45
    Earned a year, estimated
    $32,900
    Price if you pay yourself
    $449
    Program website, Medication Aide 6180001 (Continuing Education) at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
  • Medication aide courseOnlineNo diploma needed

    CE Medication Manager

    Iowa Lakes Community College

    Based in Estherville, IA

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Iowa Lakes Community College, based in Estherville, IAMedication aide course · Accredited schoolOnline · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$129
    Program website, CE Medication Manager at Iowa Lakes Community College
    More details about CE Medication Manager at Iowa Lakes Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    4 weeks, 20 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $129
    Program website, CE Medication Manager at Iowa Lakes Community College
  • Medication aide courseHybridEducation and courses

    Medication Aide

    Iowa Western Community College

    Council Bluffs

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Iowa Western Community College, Council BluffsMedication aide course · Accredited schoolHybrid · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$585
    Program website, Medication Aide at Iowa Western Community College
    More details about Medication Aide at Iowa Western Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    3 weeks, 24 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $585
    Program website, Medication Aide at Iowa Western Community College
  • Medication aide courseHybridEducation and courses

    CE Certified Medication Aide

    Iowa Lakes Community College

    Estherville

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Iowa Lakes Community College, EsthervilleMedication aide course · Accredited schoolHybrid · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,497
    Program website, CE Certified Medication Aide at Iowa Lakes Community College
    More details about CE Certified Medication Aide at Iowa Lakes Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    4 weeks, 13 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,497
    Program website, CE Certified Medication Aide at Iowa Lakes Community College

How to pay for medication aide training in Iowa

WIOA funding can pay for medication aide training in Iowa

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for medication aide training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for medication aide training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Medication aide training in Iowa

programs with a price cost under $1,000
8 of 9
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
3rd of 12
medication aide programs here, against the typical state's 3
9 vs 3

State comparisons use the same figures as the medication aide training by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Medication aide training in Waterloo, Norfolk, Cedar Rapids and other Iowa cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 1 more program is in 1 other area, 1 in smaller cities and towns and 1 online.

Other training in Iowa

How medication aide training compares with the rest of nursing and patient care: Nursing and patient care programs in Iowa

Where the Iowa medication aide program numbers come from

Which Iowa medication aide programs are on this list?

These are the medication aide programs Iowa approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Iowa offers.

How the prices and results of Iowa medication aide programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about medication aide training in Iowa

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nursing Assistants and Orderlies
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List