Health and Medical Administrative Services at Hawkeye Community College

The numbers here tell a cautious story. Hawkeye's health administration program sits in the 40th percentile for earnings among Iowa programs—meaning six out of ten similar programs in the state produce higher-earning graduates. That $31,441 starting salary trails both the Iowa median ($33,009) and lags significantly behind Eastern Iowa Community College's $39,416. More concerning: earnings drop 10% by year four rather than grow, suggesting graduates may struggle to advance or find stable positions in this field.

The $23,000 debt load isn't unusually high—it matches both state and national medians—but paired with declining earnings, it creates a stretched financial picture. Your child would be paying back debt while potentially earning less four years out than they did initially. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty; this data might not reflect the typical graduate's experience.

If your student is set on healthcare administration, look closely at what Eastern Iowa Community College or Kirkwood are doing differently—their graduates earn $7,000-$8,000 more right out of the gate. For Hawkeye specifically, you'd want concrete answers about why earnings decline and what job placement actually looks like. At current performance levels, this program appears to underdeliver compared to other community college options in Iowa.