Practical Nursing at Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs, IA · Public · Certificate · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
73
Strong Growth
70
Base Case
65
Conservative
Earnings
$33,043/yr (-25% vs median)
AI-Proof
AI-Proof (82% shielded)
Job Market
Very Large (258,500 openings/yr)
Future-Proof Earnings
Three scenarios modeling future earnings based on technology adoption rates and job market trends for Practical Nursing graduates.
| Strong Growth Full Stability |
Base Case Moderate Changes |
Conservative Max Disruption |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $737K | $470K | $304K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 108.7x | 69.3x | 44.8x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 106.4x | 67.8x | 43.9x |
| Viable Career Paths | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 |
| TradeSchoolWorth Score | 73 | 70 | 65 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as technology and market conditions evolve over time.
Program Tuition (In-State)
$6,780
Out-of-state: $6,930
Median Debt at Graduation
$12,229
4.4 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$61,751
87% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Practical Nursing graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 258,500 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | $62,340 | 54,400 | +2.6% | 75% |
| Nursing assistants | $39,530 | 204,100 | +2.3% | 90% |
Compare & Explore
Practical Nursing Overview
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Practical Nursing at Iowa Western Community College?
This program scores 70/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 65 (conservative) to 73 (strong growth) depending on market conditions.
How AI-proof is a career in Practical Nursing?
We model three scenarios: Strong Growth (full career stability), Base Case (moderate changes), and Conservative (maximum disruption). In the base case, Practical Nursing graduates retain 2 of 2 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $304,078 (conservative) to $737,057 (strong growth).
How many job openings are there for Practical Nursing graduates?
The career paths mapped to Practical Nursing have roughly 258,500 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is Practical Nursing at Iowa Western Community College worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 69.3x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Conservative scenario, the multiple is 44.8x. The narrow spread between scenarios shows how stable trade careers are compared to desk jobs.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios model earnings resilience using AI exposure data and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2026.