Private for-profit · Community college
Aveda Institute-Des Moines
West Des Moines, Iowa · Small city
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $18,552
- Avg net price
- 88%
- Grad / completion
- $36,132
- Median earnings
Aveda Institute-Des Moines is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in West Des Moines, Iowa (small city setting), enrolling 244 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines is a city in Iowa, United States. The West Des Moines area used to be home to the Sac and Meskwaki peoples. Near the stroke of midnight on October 11, 1845, a gunshot was fired by a cattle farmer, James Cunningham Jordan (1813–1891) to declare that the area was open for Anglo-European settlement. Hy-Vee, FBL Financial Group, GuideOne Insurance, American Equity, Sammons Financial Group, ITA Group, Windsor Windows & Doors and the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care are headquartered in West Des Moines. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Certificate
- Nearest big city
- 9 miles to Des Moines, IA
- To Great Lakes shore
- 311 miles
- Nearest airport
- 8 miles to Des Moines (DSM) · major hub
How Aveda Institute-Des Moines compares
Higher than 87% · #8 of 39 in Iowa
Higher than 79%
Higher than 53% · #20 of 38 in Iowa
Cheaper than 37% · #32 cheapest of 39 in Iowa
Lower than 70%
Lower than 56%
Larger than 49%
Percentiles compare Aveda Institute-Des Moines with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Iowa.
Student body
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White56%
- Black5.3%
- Hispanic4.9%
- Asian2.9%
- Other or multiracial31%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 244
- Student–faculty ratio
- 15 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 41%
- First-generation students
- 37%
- Students over 25
- 16%
- Median family income
- $37,296
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- —
- Room & board
- —
- Total cost of attendance
- —
- Average net price
- $18,552
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 88%
- First-year retention
- 89%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $35,130
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $36,132
- Median debt at graduation
- $8,461
- Students with federal loans
- 48%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 59%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $100
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Aveda Institute-Des Moines funds essentially no grants of its own — almost all aid here comes from federal (Pell), state, or outside sources rather than the school's own discount. Its sticker price is what it is.
Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid, 2022–23 full-time first-year undergraduates.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $36,132
- Typical debt at graduation
- $8,461
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 23%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- —
Typical debt would take roughly 2.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 86°F
- Winter low
- 14°F
- Annual rain
- 36.5″
- Annual snow
- 36.5″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Des Moines Intl AP, IA US station (8 mi from campus).
What Aveda Institute-Des Moines graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Aveda Institute-Des Moines
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Aveda Institute-Des Moines side by side →
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- Transfer
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- Tuition
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- Transfer
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Wade College
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- Tuition
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- Transfer
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Colleges near Aveda Institute-Des Moines
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West Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School
Urbandale, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 45 students
Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines
Des Moines, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 74 students
La James International College-Johnston
Johnston, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 141 students
Drake University
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UnityPoint Health-Des Moines School of Radiologic Technology
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Mercy College of Health Sciences
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Grand View University
Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,486 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













