Overview
Career outlook
Employers hire ADN-prepared registered nurses to provide and coordinate direct patient care, administer treatments, and educate patients across hospitals, clinics, and long-term care settings.
Getting in
What Des Moines Area Community College asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Transcripts
- Prerequisite courses
- Background check
- CPR certification
- Immunizations
Two year ladder program (PN year then ADN year) at Ankeny, Boone, Carroll, Newton and Urban campuses; Ankeny and Boone start fall and spring, Carroll and Newton fall only, Urban spring only. Entry: DMACC application with Nursing (RN) AAS major, required Nursing Information Session, proof of Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry placement or passed nurse aide written and skills tests, math competency (ALEKS 30 or MAT 064 C-), B or higher in A&P I, A&P II and Developmental Psychology, C or higher in Composition I, and ATI TEAS adjusted total 55 or higher taken at a DMACC Testing Center. No fixed deadline: qualified applicants go on a standby list and are admitted 4 to 6 months before the cohort (fall cohorts accepted in February, spring in September). Progression to the RN year requires ATI PN Predictor 92 or TEAS 65. Approximate total program cost $20,035 at $215 per credit.
Checked Oct 2026 on the school's site. Requirements change each cycle, so confirm before you apply.
Paths
Routes into ADN. The first step is where you enroll today.
People
Acceptees whose paths lead to this program, and how they got in.
Find your next step.
Getting in starts with a path. Pick one, then follow the people who already did it.