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 $5,491. A total of 86,208 students enrolled in Iowa community colleges (2,781 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 1,244 students enrolled online exclusively.

The average graduation rate is 54.93% and the transfer-out rate is 54.93%. The average students to faculty ratio is 16 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$5,491
Student PopulationTotal 86,208 (2,781 on average)
Online Student PopulationTotal 19,910 (1,244 on average) in 18 schools offering online classes)
Graduation Rate54.93%
Transfer-out Rate13.87%
Student to Faculty Ratio16.16 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) $4,381 24,418 34% 21 to 1
2Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge, IA$7,668 ($5,376) $5,749 4,909 44% 19 to 1
3Northwest Iowa Community CollegeSheldon, IA$7,410 ($7,110) $4,993 1,792 55% 16 to 1
4Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport, IA$6,288 ($4,680) $4,848 7,128 34% 19 to 1
5Southeastern Community CollegeWest Burlington, IA$6,450 $5,747 2,562 43% 15 to 1
6Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo, IA$6,598 ($6,308) $5,181 4,796 31% 13 to 1
7North Iowa Area Community CollegeMason City, IA$9,245 ($6,436) $6,099 2,471 55% 21 to 1
8Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar, IA$7,470 ($6,600) $4,803 4,378 48% 20 to 1
9Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville, IA$7,644 ($7,196) $6,323 2,024 26% 14 to 1
10Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs, IA$6,930 ($6,780) $5,449 5,503 40% 19 to 1
11Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa, IA$6,120 ($4,872) $6,683 3,236 40% 15 to 1
12Southwestern Community CollegeCreston, IA$6,720 ($6,510) $4,632 1,633 53% 16 to 1
13Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City, IA$5,186 ($5,042) $4,484 5,071 40% 13 to 1
14Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids, IA$7,968 ($5,980) $5,754 12,660 40% 20 to 1
15Ellsworth Community CollegeIowa Falls, IA$6,312 ($5,304) $6,912 685 43% 17 to 1
16Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltown, IA$5,808 ($5,304) $6,064 1,870 37% 20 to 1
17Ross College-DavenportDavenport, IA$16,297 ($12,492) $6,045 40 59% 39 to 1
-Mercy-St Luke's School of Radiologic TechnologyCedar Rapids, IA$4,255 ($3,750) $8,542 21 - 11 to 1
-PCI Academy-AmesAmes, IA$27,988 $2,788 170 27% 15 to 1
-American Hair AcademyMt. Pleasant, IA$17,590 $5,397 27 69% 9 to 1
-Aveda Institute-Des MoinesWest Des Moines, IA$21,100 $4,859 179 97% 15 to 1
-La James International College-JohnstonJohnston, IA$19,311 $6,120 113 64% 38 to 1
-La James International College-Ft DodgeFort Dodge, IA$19,311 $6,369 20 100% 10 to 1
-Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux CitySioux City, IA$19,756 $6,725 40 64% 6 to 1
-UnityPoint Health-Des Moines School of Radiologic TechnologyDes Moines, IA$4,000 ($3,900) $4,135 16 - 10 to 1
-La James International College-Cedar FallsCedar Falls, IA$11,145 $7,529 40 100% 13 to 1
-La James International College-DavenportDavenport, IA$11,145 $6,578 123 67% 15 to 1
-La James College of Hairstyling and CosmetologyMason City, IA$20,650 $4,871 56 71% 7 to 1
-SOHO Hair AcademyCouncil Bluffs, IA$22,131 $4,281 50 67% 13 to 1
-Iowa School of Beauty-Des MoinesDes Moines, IA$19,756 $4,939 74 80% 7 to 1
Average$12,172 ($6,086) $5,49186,208 54.93% 16.16 to 1