2027 Best Value Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Schools in Iowa

[Vehicle Maintenance & Repair](/majors/mechanical-repair-technologies/vehicle-maintenance-repair-tech/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 13 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value vehicle maintenance & repair schools.
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2027 Best Value Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in vehicle maintenance & repair, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Schools
Our analysis ranked Western Iowa Tech Community College the best value for a degree in vehicle maintenance & repair in Iowa. Set in the city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,186, with out-of-state students paying around $5,330. Typical student debt for vehicle maintenance & repair graduates is $8,250. Early-career vehicle maintenance & repair graduates make about $36,535. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa Central Community College earned it the #2 place for vehicle maintenance & repair. Set in the town of Fort Dodge, Iowa Central Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,496, compared with $7,788 for out-of-state students. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Early-career vehicle maintenance & repair graduates make about $49,556. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Kirkwood Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in vehicle maintenance & repair, landing the #3 spot this year. Kirkwood Community College is a large public school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,176, compared with $8,220 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,000 to complete the vehicle maintenance & repair program here. Soon after graduation, vehicle maintenance & repair degree recipients from Kirkwood Community College generally make around $44,896. That is a strong return on a $10,000 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Hawkeye Community College one of the best values for vehicle maintenance & repair. Located in the rural area of Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,525, compared with $6,612 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the vehicle maintenance & repair program here. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates of Hawkeye Community College earn a median of $47,762 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes Southwestern Community College Creston one of the best values for vehicle maintenance & repair. Set in the town of Creston, Southwestern Community College Creston is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,064, compared with $8,316 for out-of-state students. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates carry a median of $15,881 in student loans. Early-career vehicle maintenance & repair graduates make about $46,106. Set against $15,881 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
North Iowa Area Community College placed #6 among the best values for vehicle maintenance & repair. Located in the rural area of Mason City, North Iowa Area Community College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,653, while out-of-state students pay about $9,551. Students borrow a median of $6,238 to complete the vehicle maintenance & repair program here. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates of North Iowa Area Community College earn a median of $47,882 early in their careers. Set against $6,238 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Des Moines Area Community College placed #7 among the best values for vehicle maintenance & repair. Located in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,790, while out-of-state students pay about $6,690. Students borrow a median of $9,624 to complete the vehicle maintenance & repair program here. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates of Des Moines Area Community College earn a median of $52,325 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Indian Hills Community College ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value vehicle maintenance & repair schools. Indian Hills Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Ottumwa. In-state tuition and fees average $5,040, with out-of-state students paying around $6,120. Typical student debt for vehicle maintenance & repair graduates is $13,188. Early-career vehicle maintenance & repair graduates make about $50,901. Set against $13,188 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar placed #9 among the best values for vehicle maintenance & repair. Set in the rural area of Calmar, Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,780, with out-of-state students paying around $7,770. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates carry a median of $5,500 in student loans. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates of Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar earn a median of $43,536 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Iowa Lakes Community College ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value vehicle maintenance & repair schools. Iowa Lakes Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Estherville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,392, while out-of-state students pay about $7,872. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates carry a median of $20,876 in student loans. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates of Iowa Lakes Community College earn a median of $34,586 early in their careers. Set against $20,876 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Eastern Iowa Community College District came in at #11 for value in vehicle maintenance & repair this year. Eastern Iowa Community College District is a large public school located in the city of Davenport. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,848, compared with $6,456 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for vehicle maintenance & repair graduates is $15,995. Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates of Eastern Iowa Community College District earn a median of $41,510 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,995 median debt.
Iowa Western Community College landed the #12 spot for vehicle maintenance & repair value this year. Iowa Western Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Council Bluffs. In-state tuition and fees average $6,930, with out-of-state students paying around $7,080. Typical student debt for vehicle maintenance & repair graduates is $10,055. Soon after graduation, vehicle maintenance & repair degree recipients from Iowa Western Community College generally make around $47,199. Set against $10,055 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Northwest Iowa Community College earned the #13 position for value in vehicle maintenance & repair this year. Located in the town of Sheldon, Northwest Iowa Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $7,350 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,650 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for vehicle maintenance & repair graduates is $11,326. Soon after graduation, vehicle maintenance & repair degree recipients from Northwest Iowa Community College generally make around $52,174. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.