Medical Assistant Program at Hawkeye Community College

✔️ Page Updated: December 26th, 2025 | Current for 2026, learn more about our data 🛈

For students in Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College offers a highly-rated Medical Assistant Diploma program with an exceptional 98% certification exam pass rate and potential tuition coverage through the Last-Dollar Scholarship.

This page provides up-to-date program costs, graduation and employment data, accreditation details, contact information, and interactive resources such as Google Reviews, Maps, and Campus Videos.

CMA AAMA: Medical Assistant Program Overview at HCC

Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa, offers a robust Medical Assistant Diploma program, officially accredited by CAAHEP since March 20, 2020. This comprehensive program is designed to prepare graduates for the dual clinical and administrative roles central to modern healthcare.

Program Length and Schedule

• The diploma spans just 1.5 years of face-to-face instruction.
• Flexible entry points are available: daytime classes begin in the spring, and evening options start in the fall.
• Core coursework includes Medical Terminology, Clinical Assisting, Pharmacology, and Medical Law & Ethics.

Hands-On Experience and Financial Aid

• Students gain invaluable, hands-on skills using state-of-the-art resources like the Van Gerpen Patient Simulation Center.
• Students complete over 200 hours of real-world practicum experience.
• The program qualifies for the Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship, which can cover up to 100% of tuition for eligible students seeking careers in this high-demand field.

Outcomes and Career Readiness

• Upon graduation, students are prepared for the RMA or CMA national certification exams.
• The program boasts an exceptional 98% average exam passage rate between 2019 and 2023.
• This preparation leads directly to entry-level positions in local doctor’s offices (60% placement) and hospitals, where the median hourly wage is around $22.
• Students can join the Blackhawk chapter of the Iowa Society of Medical Assistants (ISMA) for professional networking.
• The diploma program is overseen by Program Director Gwen Mahloch.

HCC’s Medical Assistant Program Data

Our Data

Our Medical Assistant Program Data is carefully researched and curated from the following government and higher education organizations.

• CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) – CAAHEP is the largest programmatic accreditor for health sciences education and the official medical assisting program accreditor for the National CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam.
• IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) – A comprehensive database of U.S. colleges and universities.
• Peterson’s Database – Includes detailed college information and their Distance Learning Licensed Data Set.
• College Scorecard – A U.S. Department of Education tool offering key statistics on college costs, graduation rates, and student outcomes.
• NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) – The primary federal source for data and analysis on education in the U.S. such as cost of tuition. Our data shows average cost of tuition and fees for Public 2 year institutions per state.
• BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) – May 2024 Occupational Outlook Handbook Medical Assistants Data for Salary and Employment. Our data shows the mean annual salary and the total number of employed MAs per state.

• View All Medical Assistant Programs
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• View Medical Assistant Schools in Iowa