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.
Prerequisites
The prerequisites you'll need to meet to apply to this program at Des Moines Area Community College. Open a category to see each one.
College courses
6
Entrance exams
2
Certifications
3
Health and background checks
1
Application basics
1
Paths
Routes into ADN. The first step is where you enroll today.
Pre-Nursing to RN
Community college ADN pathway
Ready to become a nurse? Start with Pre-Nursing, find community college ADN programs that fit your goals, and get help planning your prerequisites and applications.
- Timeline
- 2 to 3 years
Pre-Nursing to RN
HSI community college ADN pathway
Ready to become a nurse? Start with Pre-Nursing, find ADN programs at Hispanic Serving Institutions, and get help planning your prerequisites and applications.
- Timeline
- 2 to 3 years
CNA Exam Prep to RN
Community college ADN pathway
Ready to become a nurse? Start by preparing for your CNA exam, gain patient care experience, and get help planning your path into a community college ADN program.
- Timeline
- 2 to 3 years
Georgia CNA to RN
Community college ADN pathway
Ready to become a nurse in Georgia? Start with your CNA, gain patient care experience, and get help planning your path into a Georgia ADN program.
- Timeline
- 2 to 3 years
Acceptees
Acceptees whose paths lead to this program, and how they got in.
