Interpreter and translator training in Iowa

1 interpreter and translator program with costs, results and funding that can make it free

One school offers this interpreter program, and Iowa has approved it for workforce funding. It shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Interpreters work in spoken or sign language and translators in written language; medical interpreters help patients talk with doctors and nurses, and court interpreters work in courts. Most have a bachelor's degree and must be fluent in English and at least one other language. Certification is usually optional, but most states require it for court interpreters.¹

In Iowa, the one program asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

See the program

How much does interpreter training cost in Iowa?

$6,698

is what this program costs if you pay yourself

This program

Finished the program: Not reported; The program doesn't report it
Working 6 months later: Not reported; The program doesn't report it
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; The program doesn't report it
Length: 52 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 interpreter training. How these figures are made

Is there free interpreter training in Iowa?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for the program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. The one program with a price costs $6,698.

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

The one interpreter and translator program in Iowa approved for WIOA funding

1 program

Translator or interpreter certificate (general)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Interpretation and Translation - Diploma
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux CityTranslator or interpreter certificate (general) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$6,698
Program website, Interpretation and Translation - Diploma at Western Iowa Tech Community College
More details about Interpretation and Translation - Diploma at Western Iowa Tech Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
52 weeks, 11 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$891
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$6,698
Program website, Interpretation and Translation - Diploma at Western Iowa Tech Community College

How to pay for interpreter training in Iowa

WIOA funding can pay for interpreter training in Iowa

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for interpreter 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 interpreter 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.

Other training in Iowa

How interpreter training compares with the rest of business and office work: Business and office training in Iowa

Where the Iowa interpreter program numbers come from

Which Iowa interpreter programs are on this list?

These are the interpreter 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 the prices and results of Iowa interpreter programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about interpreter training in Iowa

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources

Nursing and patient care

Medical office and lab

General healthcare

Skilled trades

Transportation and logistics

Computers and IT

Business and office

Beauty and personal care

Public safety

Food and hospitality

Education and social services