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Diesel mechanic training in Iowa

8 diesel mechanic programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

7 schools offer these diesel mechanic programs, and Iowa has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Diesel mechanics inspect and repair buses and trucks and maintain diesel engines of every kind. Community colleges and technical schools offer certificates and degrees in diesel repair, employers may require or prefer certification, and some jobs need a commercial driver's license to test-drive trucks and buses.1 In Iowa, 3 of the 8 programs take students without a high school diploma.

See the 8 programs

How much does diesel mechanic training cost in Iowa?

$9,609 to $15,089 is what most diesel mechanic programs in Iowa cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 8 programs with a price. All of them: $8,695 to $21,717

In the typical program

Finished the program
48%
Working 6 months later
84%
Earned a year, estimated
about $43,200
Length
44 to 75 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Iowa may also offer diesel mechanic training. How these figures are made

Is there free diesel mechanic training in Iowa?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

Diesel mechanic training in Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Cedar Rapids and other Iowa cities

Choosing an area filters the list below. 1 in smaller cities and towns.

All 8 diesel mechanic programs in Iowa approved for WIOA funding

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What you need to enroll
Kind of program
How it's taught
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8 programs

  • Diesel technician certificate or diplomaIn personNo diploma needed

    Diesel Technology Diploma

    Des Moines Area Community College

    Ankeny

    No diploma needed

    Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny · Diesel technician certificate or diploma · In person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$54,600
    Price if you pay yourself$8,695
    Program website, Diesel Technology Diploma at Des Moines Area Community College
    More details about Diesel Technology Diploma at Des Moines Area Community College
    Finished
    50%
    Working at 6 months
    83%
    Earned in a quarter
    $13,647
    Length
    42 weeks, 29 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $7,156
    Students counted
    288
    a year, estimated
    $54,600
    price
    $8,695

  • Diesel technology (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Diesel Technology

    Iowa Central Community College

    Fort Dodge

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Iowa Central Community College, Fort Dodge · Diesel technology (associate degree) · In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$40,400
    Price if you pay yourself$14,939
    Program website, Diesel Technology at Iowa Central Community College
    More details about Diesel Technology at Iowa Central Community College
    Finished
    43%
    Working at 6 months
    83%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,099
    Length
    60 weeks, 24 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $4,607
    Students counted
    170
    a year, estimated
    $40,400
    price
    $14,939

  • Diesel technology (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed

    Diesel Truck Technology

    Kirkwood Community College

    Cedar Rapids

    No diploma needed

    Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids · Diesel technology (associate degree) · In person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$44,600
    Price if you pay yourself$13,230
    Program website, Diesel Truck Technology at Kirkwood Community College
    More details about Diesel Truck Technology at Kirkwood Community College
    Finished
    48%
    Working at 6 months
    100%
    Earned in a quarter
    $11,140
    Length
    64 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $12,110
    Students counted
    97
    a year, estimated
    $44,600
    price
    $13,230

  • Diesel technology (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Diesel Technology

    Indian Hills Community College

    Ottumwa

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Indian Hills Community College, Ottumwa · Diesel technology (associate degree) · In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$44,800
    Price if you pay yourself$21,717
    Program website, Diesel Technology at Indian Hills Community College
    More details about Diesel Technology at Indian Hills Community College
    Finished
    48%
    Working at 6 months
    84%
    Earned in a quarter
    $11,212
    Length
    86 weeks, 11 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    89
    a year, estimated
    $44,800
    price
    $21,717

  • Diesel technology (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Diesel Technology AAS

    Des Moines Area Community College

    Ankeny

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny · Diesel technology (associate degree) · In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$46,100
    Price if you pay yourself$15,540
    Program website, Diesel Technology AAS at Des Moines Area Community College
    More details about Diesel Technology AAS at Des Moines Area Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    89%
    Earned in a quarter
    $11,536
    Length
    84 weeks, 27 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $8,215
    Students counted
    84
    a year, estimated
    $46,100
    price
    $15,540

  • Diesel technician certificate or diplomaIn personNo diploma needed

    Diesel Mechanics *DIESEL.DP

    Northeast Iowa Community College

    Calmar

    No diploma needed

    Northeast Iowa Community College, Calmar · Diesel technician certificate or diploma · In person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$35,900
    Price if you pay yourself$9,823
    Program website, Diesel Mechanics *DIESEL.DP at Northeast Iowa Community College
    More details about Diesel Mechanics *DIESEL.DP at Northeast Iowa Community College
    Finished
    76%
    Working at 6 months
    84%
    Earned in a quarter
    $8,979
    Length
    44 weeks, 31 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $5,200
    Students counted
    69
    a year, estimated
    $35,900
    price
    $9,823

  • Diesel technology (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Diesel Technology

    Eastern Iowa Community Colleges

    Davenport

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, Davenport · Diesel technology (associate degree) · In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$41,900
    Price if you pay yourself$12,529
    Program website, Diesel Technology at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
    More details about Diesel Technology at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
    Finished
    47%
    Working at 6 months
    74%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,468
    Length
    72 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $2,500
    Students counted
    66
    a year, estimated
    $41,900
    price
    $12,529

  • Diesel technician certificate or diplomaIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Diesel Mechanics - Diploma

    Iowa Western Community College

    Council Bluffs

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Iowa Western Community College, Council Bluffs · Diesel technician certificate or diploma · In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$32,400
    Price if you pay yourself$8,968
    Program website, Diesel Mechanics - Diploma at Iowa Western Community College
    More details about Diesel Mechanics - Diploma at Iowa Western Community College
    Finished
    60%
    Working at 6 months
    91%
    Earned in a quarter
    $8,088
    Length
    40 weeks, 31 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $5,168
    Students counted
    51
    a year, estimated
    $32,400
    price
    $8,968

How to pay for diesel mechanic training in Iowa

WIOA funding can pay for diesel mechanic training in Iowa

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.2People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.3Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.4

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).5

Financial aid and grants for diesel mechanic training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for diesel mechanic training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Quick facts: Diesel mechanic training in Iowa

programs with a price cost under $10,000
3 of 8
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
24th of 26
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
11 of 13
diesel mechanic programs here, against the typical state's 8
8 vs 8

State comparisons use the same figures as the diesel mechanic training by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Where the Iowa diesel mechanic program numbers come from

Which Iowa diesel mechanic programs are on this list?

These are the diesel mechanic programs Iowa approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Iowa offers.

How Iowa diesel mechanic program prices are reported

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Prices under $100 are treated as not reported, because the file holds many blanks entered as $0. Check the current price with the school.

What the graduate results of these programs measure

The figures at the top of this page are the middle program among those that report results: half did better, half did worse. Results describe students who left each program in recent years: the share who finished, the share working in the second quarter after leaving, and the middle earnings of those working in that quarter. States report earnings for that one quarter because they take them from the wage reports employers file every three months. The yearly figure here is that quarter times four, rounded to the nearest $100: an estimate, and an early one, since it is measured about half a year after training. The quarter as reported is under "More details" on each program. Results are withheld for small programs, and they describe past students, so they are no guarantee.

Why do some diesel mechanic programs say "Not reported"?

Where a school or the state left a field empty, or the Department of Labor withheld it, the page says "Not reported". Nothing here is estimated to fill a gap.

Why the kind of school is left off each program

The file also records whether a school is public, private or nonprofit, but those entries are wrong too often to print next to a school's name, so this page leaves them out.

Other training in Iowa

Sources for the facts about diesel mechanic training in Iowa

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Diesel Service Technicians and Mechanics
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220 and 680.310: career services before training, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List