There are 31 community colleges (2-4 year colleges) in Iowa - 16 public and 15 private schools.

The 2024 average tuition & fees of Iowa community colleges is $6,086 for Iowa residents and $12,172 for out-of-state students. The average financial aid amounts including grants and/or scholarships is $5,859. A total of 82,833 students enrolled in Iowa community colleges (2,672 in average).

Iowa Community Colleges Average Statistics

29 Iowa community colleges have the open admission policy with some application requirements such as high school diploma and certificate of attendance.

18 schools offer online degree/programs and 1,225 students enrolled online exclusively.

The average graduation rate is 53.86% and the transfer-out rate is 53.86%. The average students to faculty ratio is 14 to 1 at Iowa community colleges.

The following table shows the 2024 average academic statistics for Iowa community colleges.

Iowa Community Colleges Average Statistics (2023-2024)
Number of Schools31 community colleges (16 public, 15 private)
Open Admission Policy29 out of 31 schools
Tuition & Fees$6,086 Iowa Residents
$12,172 out-of-state Students
Financial Aid Amounts$5,859
Student PopulationTotal 82,833 (2,672 on average)
Online Student PopulationTotal 19,592 (1,225 on average) in 18 schools offering online classes)
Graduation Rate53.86%
Transfer-out Rate13.73%
Student to Faculty Ratio13.94 to 1

Iowa Community Colleges Comparison - Ranking and Key Facts

Des Moines Area Community College is ranked first among Iowa community colleges and Iowa Central Community College and Northwest Iowa Community College are second and third position in the ranking.

The 2024 average tuition & fees of the schools are $6,086 for Iowa residents and $12,172 for out-of-state students. The following table compares the Iowa community colleges with key statistics by ranking.

2024 Tuition & Academic Comparison Between Community Colleges in Iowa
IA RankNameTuition & FeesFinancial AidStudent PopulationGraduation RateStudent to Faculty Ratio
1Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny, IA$11,100 ($5,550) $4,182 21,637 33% 19 to 1
2Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge, IA$7,668 ($5,376) $6,561 5,058 37% 19 to 1
3Northwest Iowa Community CollegeSheldon, IA$7,410 ($7,110) $4,825 1,811 64% 15 to 1
4Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport, IA$6,288 ($4,680) $4,628 7,145 39% 20 to 1
5Southeastern Community CollegeWest Burlington, IA$6,450 $3,454 2,476 38% 12 to 1
6Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo, IA$6,598 ($6,308) $4,734 4,787 33% 15 to 1
7North Iowa Area Community CollegeMason City, IA$9,245 ($6,436) $6,284 2,479 54% 21 to 1
8Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar, IA$7,470 ($6,600) $6,087 4,355 48% 15 to 1
9Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville, IA$7,644 ($7,196) $6,170 1,960 37% 14 to 1
10Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs, IA$6,930 ($6,780) $5,427 5,342 36% 19 to 1
11Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa, IA$6,120 ($4,872) $7,448 3,361 36% 15 to 1
12Southwestern Community CollegeCreston, IA$6,720 ($6,510) $6,045 1,581 52% 17 to 1
13Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City, IA$5,186 ($5,042) $5,263 5,150 42% 13 to 1
14Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids, IA$7,968 ($5,980) $6,187 12,406 35% 19 to 1
15Ellsworth Community CollegeIowa Falls, IA$6,312 ($5,304) $8,814 718 29% 15 to 1
16Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltown, IA$5,808 ($5,304) $7,636 1,707 35% 17 to 1
17Ross College-DavenportDavenport, IA$16,297 ($12,492) $7,385 28 61% 8 to 1
-American Hair AcademyMt. Pleasant, IA$17,590 $6,968 20 71% 10 to 1
-La James International College-DavenportDavenport, IA$11,145 $6,381 96 50% 24 to 1
-UnityPoint Health-Des Moines School of Radiologic TechnologyDes Moines, IA$4,000 ($3,900) $3,398 19 - 10 to 1
-SOHO Hair AcademyCouncil Bluffs, IA$22,131 $5,226 30 72% 8 to 1
-Mercy-St Luke's School of Radiologic TechnologyCedar Rapids, IA$4,255 ($3,750) $5,413 22 - 11 to 1
-La James International College-Cedar FallsCedar Falls, IA$11,145 $6,333 39 44% 13 to 1
-Aveda Institute-Des MoinesWest Des Moines, IA$21,100 $4,369 180 100% 15 to 1
-La James College of Hairstyling and CosmetologyMason City, IA$20,650 $7,798 59 71% 7 to 1
-PCI Academy-AmesAmes, IA$27,988 $5,445 126 94% 15 to 1
-Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux CitySioux City, IA$19,756 $6,548 13 66% 3 to 1
-Iowa School of Beauty-Des MoinesDes Moines, IA$19,756 $4,672 77 66% 6 to 1
-La James International College-JohnstonJohnston, IA$19,311 $6,836 57 65% 14 to 1
-La James International College-Ft DodgeFort Dodge, IA$19,311 $7,530 21 100% 11 to 1
Average$12,172 ($6,086) $5,85982,833 53.86% 13.94 to 1