Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Best Online Healthcare Programs in Des Moines, IA (2026)
Des Moines, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering healthcare programs, with tuition ranging from $17,328 to $30,844 per year for indexed programs. Des Moines has a population of about 212,464. Median household income is $63,966 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning healthcare-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $101,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Healthcare Schools to Des Moines
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer healthcare programs near Des Moines. Distances are calculated from Des Moines city center.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Des Moines. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Published tuition$17,328 - $30,844
Online programsYes
UnityPoint Health-Des Moines School of Radiologic Technology
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Drake University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa healthcare page.
Healthcare Wages Near Des Moines
Des Moines is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and Health Services Manager | $101,550 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $110,742 |
| Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar | $86,790 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $94,646 |
| Medical Records Specialist | $54,270 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $59,182 |
| Medical Secretary or Administrative Assistant | $42,160 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $45,976 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $62,360 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $68,004 |
| Epidemiologist | $83,650 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $91,221 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Des Moines at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 212,464 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $63,966 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 29.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 91.7 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Healthcare-related employment in Polk County | 39,472 workers, 2,057 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Des Moines-Area Cities With Healthcare Programs
- West Des Moines, IA – 8.9 mi away (64,560 pop)
- Johnston, IA – 9.6 mi away (21,114 pop)
- Urbandale, IA – 10.0 mi away (43,018 pop)
- Ankeny, IA – 10.7 mi away (58,627 pop)
- Ames, IA – 31.4 mi away (67,841 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited healthcare schools are near Des Moines, IA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering healthcare programs near Des Moines. The closest is Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines in Des Moines, IA (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School (7.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying healthcare roles near Des Moines?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying healthcare-related roles near Des Moines are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($101,550), Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar ($86,790), Epidemiologist ($83,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in West Des Moines instead of Des Moines?
West Des Moines, IA is 8.9 miles from Des Moines and has its own set of local healthcare programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Des Moines an affordable place to study healthcare?
Des Moines’s median household income of $63,966 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Des Moines while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Healthcare Programs
- Healthcare accreditation: what to look for
- Healthcare concentrations and specializations
- Is a Healthcare degree worth it?
- Main Healthcare degree guide
- Online Healthcare programs in Iowa
- Healthcare programs by state
Other Programs Available in Des Moines
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Des Moines:
- Criminal Justice programs in Des Moines, IA
- Nursing programs in Des Moines, IA
- Business Administration programs in Des Moines, IA
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- Psychology programs in Des Moines, IA
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- Liberal Arts programs in Des Moines, IA
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- Accounting programs in Des Moines, IA
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Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.