| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year community college; campus-based, with a few programs fully online |
| Locations | Main campus in Waterloo, plus a temporary HVAC site, a transportation training center, an automation and robotics center, a teaching farm and an adult learning center in Waterloo, a center in Cedar Falls and an outreach center in Holland. All in Iowa |
| Service area | All or part of 10 northeast and east-central Iowa counties |
| Credentials | Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Associate of Applied Arts (AAA), AA/AS transfer degrees, diplomas, certificates, non-credit workplace certificates and apprenticeship classes |
| Programs | About 110 entries on the college’s program list, roughly 25 of them transfer majors |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission: accredited; comprehensive evaluation visit scheduled for 19 October 2026 |
| Federal aid | Yes, for credit programs; non-credit courses such as CDL are not eligible |
| 2026-27 tuition | $241 per credit hour for Iowa residents, $242 for non-residents, including a $7 student activity fee |
| Students | 5,040 in fall 2025 |
| Founded | 1966, as Hawkeye Institute of Technology; renamed Hawkeye Community College in 1993 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Northeast Iowa’s community college, based in Waterloo
Hawkeye Community College is the public community college for all or part of 10 counties in northeast and east-central Iowa, including the cities of Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Waverly and Independence. It opened on 1 July 1966 as Hawkeye Institute of Technology, replacing the Waterloo Area Vocational School, added liberal arts in 1992 and took its current name in July 1993. It enrolled 5,040 students in fall 2025. Credit programs are taught at the main campus in Waterloo; separate sites handle CDL training, farm labs, non-credit industrial certifications, adult education and outreach. Recent building work includes Grundy Hall’s $21 million health and science renovation (finished January 2024), a larger transportation training center (August 2025) and a Butler Hall renovation and addition due in January 2028, which has moved the HVAC diploma off campus for now.
Career programs and where they are taught
Hawkeye’s program list has about 110 entries: associate degrees, diplomas and certificates for credit, non-credit workplace certificates, apprenticeship classes and about 25 transfer majors. The table covers the main career programs. Credit programs are charged per credit hour ($241 for Iowa residents in 2026-27), and Hawkeye publishes few program totals, so the price column shows only the figures the college lists, mostly for non-credit courses (October 2026). “Main campus” means 1501 East Orange Road, Waterloo.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where and how | Prepares for | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nursing (RN) | AAS, 74 credits | 2½ years, fall start | Main campus, daytime | NCLEX-RN | – |
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | Diploma, 41 credits | 1½ years, fall start | Main campus (Grundy Hall) | NCLEX-PN | – |
| Certified Nursing Assistant | Certificate, 3.5 credits | 8 weeks | Hybrid; labs at main campus | Iowa CNA exams | – |
| Dental Hygiene | AAS, 86 credits | 2½ years, fall start | Main campus, on-site clinic | NBDHE, CRDTS | – |
| Dental Assisting | Diploma, 47 credits | 1 year, fall start | Main campus | Iowa Dental Board exams | – |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma, 33 credits | 1 year; day (spring) or evening (fall) | Hybrid; labs at main campus; 200+ hour externship | CMA | – |
| Medical Laboratory Technology | AAS, 81 credits | 2 years, fall or spring | Main campus, hybrid | ASCP | – |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS, 76 credits | 2½ years, spring start | Main campus | NBCOT | – |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS, 65 credits | 78 weeks, spring start | Main campus, daytime | NPTE | – |
| Respiratory Care | AAS, 76 credits | 2½ years, spring start, 20 seats | Main campus or NIACC partnership, Mason City | – | – |
| EMT | Certificate, 7 credits | 4 months | Hybrid, day or evening | NREMT | – |
| Paramedic | Certificate, 43 credits | 1½ years (day) or 2½ years (evening hybrid) | Main campus | Paramedic certification | – |
| Veterinary Assisting | Diploma, 41 credits | 1 year | Main campus, daytime; 320-hour internship | – | – |
| Pharmacy Technician | Non-credit certificate | 4 months | Van G. Miller Center plus Zoom, evenings | PTCB PTCE | $2,099 incl. books and exam |
| Certified Professional Medical Coder | Non-credit certificate | 5 months | Online, live evenings | AAPC CPC | $4,099 incl. exam |
| Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) | Diploma, 44 credits | 3 semesters, fall start | Temporary site, Martin Rd, Waterloo | EPA 608, HVAC Excellence, OSHA-10 | – |
| Electrical / Plumbing / HVAC Apprenticeship | Non-credit related instruction; employer sponsor required | 4 levels × 144 hours | Main campus, evenings; online at 45+ miles | Journeyperson licensing route | $595 Level 1; $1,125 later levels |
| Carpentry Apprenticeship | Related instruction; employer sponsor required | 4 levels, 576 classroom hours | Waterloo, evenings | OSHA-10 | $975 per level |
| Sustainable Construction and Design | AAS, 76 credits | 2 years, fall start | Main campus, daytime | OSHA 10 and 30, ACI Flatwork Finisher | – |
| Floor Covering Installer | Non-credit certificate | 3 months | Cedar Falls Center | – | $2,500 |
| Class A CDL | Non-credit certificate | Up to 6 weeks | Regional Transportation Training Center | CDL Class A | $4,995 incl. books and testing |
| Class B CDL | Non-credit certificate | 2 weeks, full time | Regional Transportation Training Center | CDL Class B | $1,399 incl. books |
| Automotive Technology | AAS, 76 credits | 2 years, fall start | Main campus | ASE-accredited program | – |
| Auto Collision Technologies | AAS, 84 credits; diploma | 2 years, fall start | Main campus, 4-week terms | I-CAR | – |
| Diesel Technology | AAS, 72 credits | 4 semesters, fall start | Main campus | CNH TopTech, Freightliner, Kenworth | Snap-on tools $5,548 student price |
| CNC Machining & Tool-Making Technology | AAS, 80 credits; diploma; certificates | 5 semesters incl. summer | Main campus | – | – |
| Welding | Certificate, 20 credits; diploma; certificates | 4 months (certificate) | Main campus, hybrid | – | – |
| Industrial Automation Technology | AAS, 64 credits; maintenance diploma | 2 years, fall start | Main campus, competency-based | – | – |
| Police Science | AAS, 61 credits | 2 years, fall start | Main campus, daytime; 128-hour internship | – | – |
| Early Childhood Education | AAS, 61 credits; diploma; certificate | – | Campus, online or mixed | – | – |
| Ag Business Management | AAS, 70 credits; diploma; certificate | – | Farm Lab and main campus | – | – |
| Accounting | AAS, 63 credits; diploma; certificate | – | Main campus, daytime | – | – |
| Business Administration | AAS, 62 credits | – | All classes online; many also in person | – | – |
| Human Resource Management | AAS, 61 credits | – | Fully online | SHRM | – |
| Hospitality Management | AAS, 65 credits | – | Main campus; 320-hour internship | ServSafe | – |
| Cybersecurity | AAS, 64 credits; certificate | – | Main campus, face to face and hybrid | – | – |
| Network Administration and Engineering | AAS, 62 credits; diploma | – | Main campus | A+, Network+, Security+, CCNA | – |
| Information Systems Management | AAS, 63 credits | – | Main campus | A+, CCST, Azure Fundamentals | – |
| Web, Mobile, & Game Development | AAS, 60 credits | – | Evening hybrid | – | – |
| Graphic Design | AAA, 63 credits | – | Main campus, daytime | – | – |
Programmatic accreditors include CODA (dental hygiene and dental assisting), CAAHEP (medical assistant and paramedic), NAACLS (medical laboratory technology), ACOTE, CAPTE, CoARC, the ASE Education Foundation (automotive) and NAWTA (natural resources management). The nursing programs are approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing; no national nursing accreditation is stated. Electronics Engineering Technology is an electronics program, not electrician training. Psychology, communication, exercise science, social work, criminal justice and several other subjects are offered only as transfer majors that lead toward a four-year degree.
What the main programs cover
Practical and associate degree nursing
Hawkeye’s nursing is one ladder taught at the main campus, with the ADN in daytime, face-to-face classes. Practical Nursing is a 41-credit diploma with 144 lab and 192 clinical hours, starting each fall. The ADN builds on it: practical nursing completion makes up the first semesters, followed by two ADN semesters, for 74 credits and 480 clinical and 208 lab hours in all. ADN applicants need a math placement score (ALEKS 30, ACCUPLACER QAS 259 or ACT 19) and Term 0 prerequisites. Both programs are approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing.
Heating and Air Conditioning diploma
The HVAC diploma runs three semesters from a fall start and is taught at the temporary Martin Road facility until Butler Hall reopens. Students complete 192 hours of field experience, including work on a net-zero house, and earn EPA 608 Universal certification (Hawkeye reports a 100% pass rate), A2L refrigerant training, HVAC Excellence Employment Ready Gas Service Heating and OSHA-10. The diploma counts for three of the four levels of HVAC apprenticeship classes, so a graduate who finds a sponsoring employer has one level left.
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and carpentry apprenticeships
These are related-instruction classes for people already working as apprentices, not programs that train students before they are hired. The electrical, plumbing and HVAC classes are non-credit, and every student needs an employer sponsor; Hawkeye’s apprenticeship coordinators provide lists of employers to contact. Each trade has four levels; the electrical and carpentry pages pair them with 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. Classes meet on weekday evenings in Waterloo, and electrical, plumbing and HVAC apprentices who live more than 45 miles from the main campus can attend online. The electrical and plumbing curricula are approved by the Iowa Department of Labor.
Class A and Class B CDL
Both courses run at the Regional Transportation Training Center and combine classroom work, simulator time and behind-the-wheel driving under federal entry-level driver training rules. Class A lasts up to six weeks, starts every three weeks and runs in morning, afternoon or evening blocks; students must hold a commercial learner’s permit before they start. Class B is a two-week, full-time course, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, with continuous starts. Hawkeye says it trained nearly 1,900 people in 2024 and reports 90% licensing success and 98% job placement in CDL-related careers.
Sustainable Construction and Design
This two-year AAS starts each fall with daytime classes at the main campus. Students learn framing, concrete, roofing, drywall, stairs, finish carpentry and cabinetry, along with the basics of HVAC, electrical and plumbing work, and complete 256 hours of work experience. Students work on a net-zero house, a project that won a concrete award in November 2025. They earn OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards, with a 100% pass rate reported by Hawkeye, and the ACI Flatwork Finisher certification.
Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting
Both dental programs are CODA-accredited and start each fall at the main campus. Dental Hygiene is an 86-credit AAS over two and a half years; students treat members of the public in the college’s dental clinic, which opened in August 2022 in Grundy Hall, and Hawkeye reported 180 patients and 903 procedures in its first summer clinic (August 2026). Dental Assisting is a one-year, 47-credit diploma. Hygiene students prepare for the national board, the CRDTS clinical exam and the Iowa jurisprudence exam; assisting students take the Iowa Dental Board radiology, infection control and jurisprudence exams.
2026-27 tuition and how students pay
For 2026-27 Hawkeye charges $241 per credit hour for Iowa residents ($234 tuition plus a $7 student activity fee) and $242 for non-residents. The tuition page itemizes no other mandatory fees, but program fees, tools and books are extra. The resident rate has risen from $217.50 in 2023-24 and $225 in 2024-25; the latest rise, of nearly 3%, was announced in February 2026. The college puts the 2026-27 cost of attendance at $22,123: $7,539 for tuition, fees and books and $14,584 in indirect costs. Its financial aid page links to a net price calculator.
Hawkeye takes federal student aid through the FAFSA. Many career programs, including HVAC, nursing, medical assistant, welding, diesel, automotive, collision, CNC, police science, paramedic, respiratory care, hospitality and industrial automation, qualify for Iowa’s Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship, which Hawkeye says will pay up to 100% of tuition for eligible students. The Veterinary Assisting page names Iowa’s Kibbie Grant. Non-credit courses, including CDL, pharmacy technician, medical coder, floor covering and bookkeeping, are not eligible for federal aid; Class A CDL students can apply for the Trucking with the Troops grant, and the construction pre-apprenticeship is often paid for by a sponsor. Veterans can use Post-9/11 GI Bill and VA Vocational Rehabilitation benefits and federal or state tuition assistance, and the Veterans Services office in the Brock Student Center serves more than 200 military-connected students each semester.
Applying, start dates and schedules
Applying is free. Some programs have extra steps: the ADN needs a math placement score (ALEKS 30, ACCUPLACER QAS 259 or ACT 19) and Term 0 prerequisites, CNC needs minimum placement scores, Respiratory Care takes 20 students each spring, and Class A CDL students need a commercial learner’s permit before the course. Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant and Respiratory Care start only in spring; dental, automotive, diesel, CNC, police science and HVAC start only in fall.
Most career programs run as daytime, face-to-face cohorts. Evening options are the apprenticeship classes (5 to 9 pm), the Medical Assistant evening cohort, the Paramedic evening hybrid, Web, Mobile, & Game Development, Class A CDL evening blocks, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Coder and Bookkeeping Specialist. The Human Resource Management AAS is fully online and all Business Administration AAS classes are offered online; Early Childhood Education can be taken online with in-person field work. Auto Collision runs in four-week terms, and Industrial Automation is competency-based.
Accreditation and results
Hawkeye is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which last reaffirmed its accreditation in 2016-17. The next reaffirmation is due in 2026-27, and HLC’s comprehensive evaluation visit is scheduled for 19 October 2026. HLC continued Hawkeye’s accreditation after an Assurance Review in July 2021, approved its competency-based education requests in January 2025 and May 2026, and completed a multi-location visit in April 2025. The Iowa Department of Education carried out a 10-year evaluation of the college in 2020 and an interim evaluation in 2025.
Results published by the Iowa Board of Nursing and on Hawkeye’s program pages (Board of Nursing figures as we read them in October 2026):
| Measure | Result | Cohort | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN (Associate Degree Nursing) | 59.15% of 71 first-time candidates (88.46% of 52 in 2024) | 2025 calendar year | Iowa Board of Nursing |
| NCLEX-PN (Practical Nursing) | 76.92% of 65 first-time candidates (89.71% of 68 in 2024) | 2025 calendar year | Iowa Board of Nursing |
| Medical Assistant (CMA) | 98% five-year average; 100% in 2024 | 2020–2024 | Program page |
| Medical Laboratory Technology (ASCP) | 91% certification, 100% placement | 2025 | Program page |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant (NBCOT) | 67% first-time (83% in 2024, 88% in 2023) | 2025 | Program page |
| Physical Therapist Assistant (NPTE) | 78% first or later attempt; 100% employment | Two-year average | Program page |
| Paramedic certification | 93%; placement 93% | 2025 | Program page |
| Dental Hygiene (NBDHE) | 88% first attempt, 100% second; 16 of 16 placed | As of March 2023 | Program page |
| Dental Assisting (Iowa Dental Board exams) | 100% (16 of 16); placement 87.5% | As of July 2024 | Program page |
| CDL training | 90% licensing success, 98% placement in CDL-related jobs | 2024 | Hawkeye news release |
Hawkeye’s own nursing pages still show pass rates only up to 2022. The Respiratory Care page gives 88% job placement but no NBRC exam results, and Hawkeye reports 100% job placement for 2026 CNC graduates and an 80% SHRM pass rate for Human Resource Management.
Before you enroll
- Nursing exam results fell sharply in 2025. Hawkeye’s first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate was 59.15% (71 tested) in 2025, down from 88.46% in 2024, and the NCLEX-PN rate fell to 76.92% (65 tested), according to the Iowa Board of Nursing. Ask the program what has changed.
- The electrical, plumbing and carpentry programs are apprenticeship classes, not pre-employment training. They are related instruction (non-credit for electrical and plumbing), and you need an employer sponsor before you can enroll. The HVAC diploma, by contrast, trains you before you are hired and also counts for three of the four HVAC apprenticeship levels.
- Only the Waterloo main campus teaches full credit programs, apart from farm labs and the temporary HVAC site. The Cedar Falls Center, Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center and Automation and Robotics Center offer non-credit courses, and the Western Outreach Center in Holland has no full program.
- Non-credit courses are not covered by federal aid. That includes Class A CDL ($4,995), Pharmacy Technician ($2,099) and Medical Coder ($4,099).
- Several programs start once a year, and Respiratory Care has 20 seats. Hawkeye lists no college-owned housing.
Locations
Hawkeye lists eight locations, all in Iowa; the Western Outreach Center in Holland has no full program, so our campus list shows the other seven:
- Main campus, Waterloo (1501 East Orange Road): almost every credit program, Grundy Hall’s simulation center and public dental clinic, and the evening apprenticeship classes.
- HVAC temporary site, Waterloo (1350 Martin Rd): the HVAC diploma until Butler Hall is finished, expected in January 2028.
- Regional Transportation Training Center, Waterloo (6433 Hammond Ave): Class A and B CDL, bus, motorcycle and driver improvement courses.
- Farm Lab, Waterloo (5503 Hammond Ave): the 260-acre teaching farm for the agriculture programs.
- Automation and Robotics Center (TechWorks), Waterloo (360 Westfield Ave): non-credit FANUC and SACA certifications.
- Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center, Waterloo (120 Jefferson Street): adult education plus non-credit pharmacy technician and health support courses.
- Cedar Falls Center (5330 Nordic Dr): continuing education, business training and the Floor Covering Installer course.
- Western Outreach Center, Holland (17040 Market Ave): outreach and placement testing for Grundy and Butler counties.
The college also teaches dual-credit courses for high school students at several high schools, including Independence Junior Senior High School; these are dual-credit sites, not campuses. A Challenger Learning Center for STEM learning in the Cedar Valley was announced in July 2026.
Housing, facilities and career help
Hawkeye does not list college-owned housing. Student Activities keeps a list of privately owned rentals, mostly in Cedar Falls. Many programs build work experience in: 192 hours in HVAC, 256 in Sustainable Construction, 320 in Veterinary Assisting and Hospitality, 128 in Police Science and more than 200 in Medical Assistant. Apprenticeship coordinators supply lists of employers who sponsor apprentices, and the Veterans Services office refers veterans to IowaWORKS employment help. Grundy Hall’s Van Gerpen Patient Simulation Center supports the health programs.
What students say
On Niche, Hawkeye has 3.97 out of 5 from 344 reviews (checked October 2026). Reviewers most often praise small classes and personal relationships with instructors, low cost, and hands-on learning and internships. The main complaints are limited housing, poor communication about campus events and sports, and few amenities near the Waterloo campus. The most recent dated reviews are mostly from September 2024 to February 2025, with only a few since, so they may not reflect the 2025-26 changes; we saw no burst of posting.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Hawkeye locations · Programs index · Tuition and costs 2026-27 · HLC institution page · Hawkeye accreditation disclosures · Iowa Board of Nursing NCLEX-RN results · NCLEX-PN results
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Associate Degree Nursing (ADN, RN)
- Practical Nursing (LPN diploma)
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Health Support Professional (non-credit)
Health Sciences
- Dental Hygiene
- Dental Assisting
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Respiratory Care
- EMT
- AEMT
- Paramedic (certificate) and EMS (AAS)
- Veterinary Assisting
- Pharmacy Technician (non-credit)
- Certified Professional Medical Coder (non-credit, online)
- Patient Access and Front Desk Specialist (non-credit)
Construction Trades & Apprenticeships
- Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) diploma
- Sustainable Construction and Design
- Electrical Apprenticeship (non-credit, employer-sponsored)
- Plumbing Apprenticeship (non-credit, employer-sponsored)
- HVAC Apprenticeship (non-credit, employer-sponsored)
- Carpentry Apprenticeship (employer-sponsored)
- Introduction to Construction Trades Pre-Apprenticeship (non-credit)
- Floor Covering Installer (non-credit, Cedar Falls Center)
- Fundamentals of Crew Leadership
- Civil and Construction Engineering Technology
Transportation
- Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
- Class B Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
- CDL Refresher
- School or Passenger Bus License
Automotive & Manufacturing
- Automotive Technology
- Auto Collision Technologies
- Collision Repair and Refinishing (diploma)
- Diesel Technology
- CNC Machining & Tool-Making Technology
- CNC Machining Technology (diploma)
- Welding (certificate)
- Advanced Manufacturing Welding (diploma)
- Industrial Automation Technology
- Industrial Equipment Maintenance (diploma)
- FANUC and SACA certifications (non-credit)
- Electronics Engineering Technology
Agriculture
- Ag Business Management
- Animal Science
- General Agriculture (diploma)
- Precision Agriculture (certificate)
- Natural Resources Management
Public Safety & Education
- Police Science
- Early Childhood Education
Business
- Accounting
- Bookkeeping Specialist (non-credit)
- Administrative Office Management
- Administrative Assistant (diploma)
- Business Administration (online)
- Human Resource Management (online)
- Marketing Management
- Entrepreneurship (certificate)
- Hospitality Management
Technology & Design
- Cybersecurity
- Information Systems Management
- Network Administration and Engineering
- Computer Networking Technician (diploma)
- Web, Mobile, & Game Development
- Graphic Design
- Professional Photography
- Digital Mass Media
University transfer (AA/AS)
- Transfer majors including Communication, Psychology, Exercise Science and Kinesiology, Political Science, Social Work, Human and Family Services and Criminal Justice
Campus Locations
Waterloo, IA (Main Campus) 1501 East Orange Road, Waterloo, IA 50704
Waterloo, IA (HVAC temporary site) 1350 Martin Rd, Waterloo, IA 50701
Waterloo, IA (Regional Transportation Training Center) 6433 Hammond Ave, Waterloo, IA 50701
Waterloo, IA (Automation and Robotics Center) 360 Westfield Ave, Waterloo, IA 50701
Waterloo, IA (Farm Lab) 5503 Hammond Ave, Waterloo, IA 50701
Waterloo, IA (Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center) 120 Jefferson Street, Waterloo, IA 50701
Cedar Falls, IA (Cedar Falls Center) 5330 Nordic Dr, Cedar Falls, IA 50613