The student population at Des Moines Area Community College is 23,697 (all undergraduate). The number of students has increased by 1,399 (6.27%) over the past decade.
The average student population over the last 11 years is 22,780 where 23,697 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 5 year-over-year increases and 4 decreases. It peaked at 24,418 students in 2024 and was lowest at 20,536 in 2022. Overall, enrollment rose from 22,298 to 23,697 students, a net gain of 1,399 (6.3%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Des Moines Area Community College since 2015.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 22,298 | 10,495 | 11,803 |
| 2016-17 | 22,446 148 | 10,291 -204 | 12,155 352 |
| 2017-18 | 22,982 536 | 10,419 128 | 12,563 408 |
| 2018-19 | 23,474 492 | 10,475 56 | 12,999 436 |
| 2019-20 | 23,258 -216 | 10,164 -311 | 13,094 95 |
| 2020-21 | 23,051 -207 | 9,836 -328 | 13,215 121 |
| 2021-22 | 20,536 -2,515 | 8,831 -1,005 | 11,705 -1,510 |
| 2022-23 | 21,637 1,101 | 9,438 607 | 12,199 494 |
| 2023-24 | 24,418 2,781 | 10,788 1,350 | 13,630 1,431 |
| 2024-25 | 23,697 -721 | 10,383 -405 | 13,314 -316 |
| Average | 22,780 | 10,112 | 12,668 |
The percentage of white students is 68.05%. The percentage was 75.37% 10 years ago and DMACC still has a high percentage of white students. 4.06% of enrolled students is Asian and 7.21% is black students. Hispanic students comprise 8.90% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 75.37% to 68.05%. Asian enrollment grew from 3.36% to 4.06%. Black student enrollment increased from 5.70% to 7.21%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 6.74% to 8.90%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.5219 which indicates that somewhat diverse. This increased from 0.4225 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Des Moines Area Community College over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
| Year | American Indian or Native American | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | White | Two or More Races |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 82 | 750 | 1,272 | 1,503 | 16 | 16,807 | 457 |
| 2016-17 | 77 | 855 | 1,188 | 1,633 | 15 | 15,963 | 452 |
| 2017-18 | 75 | 954 | 1,358 | 1,857 | 12 | 15,887 | 403 |
| 2018-19 | 82 | 960 | 1,405 | 1,969 | 11 | 16,241 | 522 |
| 2019-20 | 54 | 995 | 1,444 | 1,972 | 12 | 15,978 | 505 |
| 2020-21 | 50 | 933 | 1,209 | 1,700 | 7 | 15,524 | 485 |
| 2021-22 | 44 | 795 | 1,072 | 1,565 | 8 | 13,234 | 466 |
| 2022-23 | 72 | 897 | 1,284 | 1,928 | 8 | 13,907 | 470 |
| 2023-24 | 90 | 956 | 1,585 | 2,360 | 16 | 16,062 | 473 |
| 2024-25 | 107 | 961 | 1,708 | 2,110 | 12 | 16,125 | 405 |
| Average | 73 | 906 | 1,353 | 1,860 | 12 | 15,573 | 464 |
5,497 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 23% of total students. The number of online students has increased 100.84% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Des Moines Area Community College from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Total Enrollment | Online Completely | Enrolled in Some Online Courses | Not Enrolled in Online Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 22,298 | 2,737 | 2,929 | 16,632 |
| 2016-17 | 22,446 | 2,937 | 3,078 | 16,431 |
| 2017-18 | 22,982 | 3,661 | 3,019 | 16,302 |
| 2018-19 | 23,474 | 3,589 | 3,552 | 16,333 |
| 2019-20 | 23,258 | 3,977 | 3,746 | 15,535 |
| 2020-21 | 18,201 | 11,766 | 2,772 | 3,663 |
| 2021-22 | 20,536 | 5,710 | 4,541 | 10,285 |
| 2022-23 | 21,637 | 5,265 | 4,425 | 11,947 |
| 2023-24 | 24,418 | 5,425 | 4,845 | 14,148 |
| 2024-25 | 23,697 | 5,497 | 4,917 | 13,283 |
| Average | 22,295 | 5,056 | 3,782 | 13,456 |
Share your experiences and thoughts about Des Moines Area Community College. It will be a great help to applicants and prospective students!