This page compares construction management programs at 6 Iowa schools: 4 community colleges, 1 public university, and 1 private university. Three offer a certificate or diploma, 4 offer an associate degree, and 2 offer a bachelor’s degree. No Iowa program offers a master’s in construction management, and none is ACCE-accredited.
Estimated in-state costs run about $2.9K to $9.4K for certificates and diplomas, $15.4K to $17.2K for associate degrees, and $42K for the public bachelor’s at the University of Northern Iowa. Dordt University’s private bachelor’s costs about $156.2K before aid.
Iowa Construction Management Programs at a Glance
| School | Location | Credentials | Format | Credits | Est. In-State Tuition | Program Accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dordt University | Sioux Center, IA | Bachelor's | Campus | 124 | $156,200 | Not stated |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | Emmetsburg, IA | Associate, Certificate | Campus | 30–67 | $7,320–$16,348 | Not stated |
| Iowa Western Community College | Council Bluffs, IA | Associate, Certificate | Campus | 18–71 | $4,356–$17,182 | Not stated |
| Kirkwood Community College | Cedar Rapids, IA | Associate, Certificate | Campus | 12–66 | $2,898–$15,364 | Not stated |
| Marshalltown Community College | Marshalltown, IA | Associate | Campus | 66 | $16,038 | Not stated |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA | Bachelor's | Campus | 120 | $42,020 | Not stated |
Tuition figures are each school’s estimated program cost range from its profile, using Iowa resident rates. Iowa community colleges charge one resident rate statewide rather than separate in-district and out-of-district rates.
Best Iowa Construction Management Programs by Goal
- Public bachelor’s: the University of Northern Iowa’s B.S. requires 19 construction courses, including construction law, surveying, and heavy construction, for about $42K.
- Students from neighboring states: UNI charges new undergraduates from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota the Iowa resident rate.
- Transfer into a bachelor’s: Kirkwood Community College’s A.A.S. has a UNI transfer guide that moves 58 credits into the B.S.
- Paid internship: Kirkwood places A.A.S. students in a full-time, paid summer construction job between the two years.
- Most field experience: Marshalltown Community College requires 8 internship credits and Iowa Lakes Community College requires two internships totaling 9 credits.
- Stackable credentials: Iowa Western Community College awards a certificate after one semester and a diploma after one year on the way to its A.A.S.
- Running a contracting business: Marshalltown pairs a year of carpentry with accounting and entrepreneurship.
- Engineering-heavy private degree: Dordt University’s B.A. adds soil mechanics, foundation design, and electrical systems to estimating and project management.
Iowa Construction Management Programs by Degree Level
Certificates and Diplomas
| School | Program | Credits | Est. In-State Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkwood Community College | Construction Estimator Certificate; ACE Diploma | 12-33 | $2,898-$7,707 |
| Iowa Western Community College | Construction Management Certificate; Diploma | 18-39 | $4,356-$9,438 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | Construction Management Diploma | 30 | $7,320 |
These shorter credentials take different shapes. Kirkwood’s estimator certificate is four estimating and preconstruction courses, Iowa Western’s certificate and diploma are the hands-on first year of its A.A.S., and Iowa Lakes’ diploma is the management year of its A.A.S. All count toward each school’s associate degree.
You Should Know
- Iowa Western’s certificate, despite its name, has no estimating or management course.
- Kirkwood’s ACE Diploma and Iowa Lakes’ diploma both include a required internship.
Associate Degrees
| School | Program | Internship | Credits | Est. In-State Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkwood Community College | A.A.S. in Construction Management | Required, paid summer | 66 | $15,364 |
| Marshalltown Community College | A.A.S. in Construction Management | Required, 8 credits | 66 | $16,038 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | A.A.S. in Construction Technology Management | Required, two placements | 67 | $16,348 |
| Iowa Western Community College | A.A.S. in Construction Management | Required, 4 credits | 71 | $17,182 |
All four associate degrees require an internship, and all run 66 to 71 credits, past the 60-credit benchmark. Three of them (Iowa Lakes, Iowa Western, and Marshalltown) spend the first year mostly on hands-on building and move into management in the second. They differ most in how much project management they teach.
- Most project management: Kirkwood’s second year covers preconstruction, contract documentation, closeout, and a capstone, and Iowa Western’s covers estimating, construction management, supervision, and a capstone.
- Business focus: Iowa Lakes and Marshalltown fill the second year mostly with business courses such as accounting, marketing, and entrepreneurship, with one estimating course each.
- Safety credentials: Kirkwood awards OSHA 10 Construction, Iowa Western includes an OSHA certification, and Marshalltown prepares students for General Industry OSHA-10.
You Should Know
- Residency matters less at some colleges than others: nonresidents pay about $355 more for Iowa Western’s A.A.S. and about $5,000 more for Kirkwood’s.
- Marshalltown’s A.A.S. is new for fall 2026, so it has no graduates or outcomes yet.
Bachelor’s Degrees
| School | Program | Accreditation | Internship | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Northern Iowa | B.S. in Construction Management | None yet (ABET in progress) | Not listed | $42,020 in-state |
| Dordt University | B.A. in Construction Management; Business Administration CM concentration | None | Elective | $156,200 |
- Construction depth: UNI requires 57 credits of construction courses, including construction law and company operations; Dordt’s major has 11 construction courses plus engineering foundations.
- Math: UNI requires trigonometry and statistics; Dordt’s engineering courses require Calculus I in practice.
- Scheduling: both have courses offered in only one term, and Dordt runs five construction courses only in alternating springs.
- Out-of-state cost: UNI’s nonresident total is about $92.1K, though students from six border states pay the in-state rate; Dordt charges one rate for everyone.
Construction Management Programs by Iowa Region
Northwest Iowa
- Dordt University, Sioux Center (bachelor’s)
- Iowa Lakes Community College, Emmetsburg (diploma, associate)
Western Iowa
- Iowa Western Community College, Council Bluffs (certificate, diploma, associate)
Central Iowa
- Marshalltown Community College, Marshalltown (associate)
Eastern Iowa
- University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls (bachelor’s)
- Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids (certificate, diploma, associate)
Other Construction Programs in Iowa
- Des Moines Area Community College: a 71-credit Construction Technology A.A.S. in Ankeny that adds management and business courses to a one-year homebuilding diploma; UNI publishes a transfer guide for it.
- Hawkeye Community College: a Civil and Construction Engineering Technology program with a UNI transfer guide.
- Iowa State University: a B.S. in Construction Engineering, an engineering degree rather than a construction management program.
How a Degree Counts Toward Iowa Contractor Requirements
Iowa doesn’t license general contractors by exam. Instead, contractors register with the state.
- Who registers: anyone earning at least $2,000 a year from construction work, under the Iowa contractor registration program.
- Requirements: registration involves a fee and business information, with no exam and no education or experience requirement.
- Local rules: some cities license specific trades or require permits, so contractors should check with the city where they work.
Because registration has no education requirement, a construction management degree in Iowa helps with hiring and advancement rather than with qualifying for a license.
You Should Know
- None of the profiled schools states that its degree counts toward a contractor credential.
- Marshalltown’s A.A.S. is aimed at students who plan to start their own contracting business, which will need state registration.
Transferring from an Iowa Community College to a University
The University of Northern Iowa is the state’s public construction management bachelor’s, and it publishes transfer guides for several community colleges. Its applied engineering department accepts a limited number of technical credits from Iowa community colleges and doesn’t accept 100-level two-year college courses toward the major.
- Published guides: UNI lists construction management guides for Kirkwood, Des Moines Area Community College, Hawkeye, and College of DuPage in Illinois.
- Kirkwood example: 26 Kirkwood credits transfer directly into the UNI major and 32 more as general education and electives, leaving 62 credits at UNI.
- No guide yet: Iowa Lakes, Iowa Western, and Marshalltown don’t publish a transfer agreement for their construction A.A.S. degrees.
Bottom Line
Iowa has two construction management bachelor’s programs, UNI’s public B.S. at about $42K and Dordt’s private B.A. at about $156K, and neither is accredited. Four community colleges offer A.A.S. degrees of 66 to 71 credits for about $15K to $17K, all with required internships.
- Accreditation: no Iowa construction management program is ACCE-accredited; UNI is seeking ABET accreditation.
- Format: every program on this page is campus-based.
- Internship: all four associate degrees require one; neither bachelor’s lists one as required.
- Next step: students planning to finish at UNI should start at a college with a published UNI transfer guide or confirm credits before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many construction management programs are in Iowa?
This page covers 6 schools: 4 community colleges with associate degrees and 2 universities with bachelor’s degrees.
Are any Iowa construction management programs ACCE-accredited?
No. ACCE’s bachelor’s list includes no Iowa programs, and the University of Northern Iowa says it is pursuing ABET accreditation instead.
Can I study construction management online in Iowa?
Not fully. All six programs on this page are campus-based, though Iowa Western’s program page lists online and evening options without saying which courses they cover.
What is the cheapest construction management degree in Iowa?
Among the schools on this page, Kirkwood’s A.A.S. has the lowest in-state estimate, about $15.4K. UNI’s B.S. is the lower-cost bachelor’s, about $42K.
Do I need a license to be a contractor in Iowa?
Iowa doesn’t require a general contractor license exam, but contractors earning at least $2,000 a year from construction must register with the state.
Program data verified November 2026 from each school’s published profile on this site. Contractor registration details from the Iowa Division of Labor’s contractor registration program; transfer details from the University of Northern Iowa.