There are 23 community colleges (2-4 year colleges) in Iowa - 16 public and 7 private schools.

The 2025 average tuition & fees of Iowa community colleges is $6,304 for Iowa residents and $9,187 for out-of-state students. The average financial aid amounts including grants and/or scholarships is $6,005. A total of 86,961 students enrolled in Iowa community colleges (3,781 in average).

Iowa Community Colleges Average Statistics

21 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 1,307 students enrolled online exclusively.

The average graduation rate is 53.05% and the transfer-out rate is 53.05%. The average students to faculty ratio is 16 to 1 at Iowa community colleges.

The following table shows the 2025 average academic statistics for Iowa community colleges.

Iowa Community Colleges Average Statistics (2024-2025)
Number of Schools23 community colleges (16 public, 7 private)
Open Admission Policy21 out of 23 schools
Tuition & Fees$6,304 Iowa Residents
$9,187 out-of-state Students
Financial Aid Amounts$6,005
Student PopulationTotal 86,961 (3,781 on average)
Online Student PopulationTotal 20,919 (1,307.44 on average) in 18 schools offering online classes)
Graduation Rate53.05%
Transfer-out Rate13.33%
Student to Faculty Ratio16.39 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 2025 average tuition & fees of the schools are $6,304 for Iowa residents and $9,187 for out-of-state students. The following table compares the Iowa community colleges with key statistics by ranking.

2025 Tuition & Academic Comparison Between Community Colleges in Iowa
IA RankNameTuition & FeesFinancial AidStudent PopulationGraduation RateStudent to Faculty Ratio
1Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny, IA$6,690 ($5,790) $4,524 23,697 39% 21 to 1
2Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge, IA$7,788 ($5,496) $5,973 4,949 42% 19 to 1
3Northwest Iowa Community CollegeSheldon, IA$7,650 ($7,350) $5,335 1,907 58% 16 to 1
4Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport, IA$6,456 ($4,848) $6,201 7,426 45% 20 to 1
5Southeastern Community CollegeWest Burlington, IA$6,570 ($6,420) $5,667 3,028 43% 14 to 1
6Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo, IA$6,612 ($6,525) $5,398 5,120 43% 13 to 1
7North Iowa Area Community CollegeMason City, IA$9,551 ($6,653) $6,279 2,662 61% 23 to 1
8Northeast Iowa Community CollegeCalmar, IA$7,770 ($6,780) $4,725 4,808 51% 15 to 1
9Iowa Lakes Community CollegeEstherville, IA$7,872 ($7,392) $6,162 1,945 50% 13 to 1
10Iowa Western Community CollegeCouncil Bluffs, IA$7,080 ($6,930) $4,623 5,540 40% 22 to 1
11Indian Hills Community CollegeOttumwa, IA$6,120 ($5,040) $6,793 3,184 40% 16 to 1
12Southwestern Community CollegeCreston, IA$8,316 ($8,064) $6,615 1,566 59% 14 to 1
13Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City, IA$5,330 ($5,186) $5,032 5,482 50% 14 to 1
14Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids, IA$8,220 ($6,176) $5,860 12,763 43% 20 to 1
15Ellsworth Community CollegeIowa Falls, IA$6,504 ($5,496) $7,334 685 38% 16 to 1
16Marshalltown Community CollegeMarshalltown, IA$6,504 ($5,496) $6,250 1,857 42% 20 to 1
17Ross College-DavenportDavenport, IA$16,297 ($12,492) $4,972 42 65% 40 to 1
-SOHO Hair AcademyCouncil Bluffs, IA$22,131 $6,423 66 76% 11 to 1
-Mercy-St Luke's School of Radiologic TechnologyCedar Rapids, IA$4,255 ($3,750) $6,416 21 - 11 to 1
-UnityPoint Health-Des Moines School of Radiologic TechnologyDes Moines, IA$4,000 ($3,900) $6,078 16 - 10 to 1
-Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux CitySioux City, IA$19,756 $7,432 67 72% 11 to 1
-La James College of Hairstyling and CosmetologyMason City, IA$20,650 $8,312 56 76% 7 to 1
-Iowa School of Beauty-Des MoinesDes Moines, IA$9,172 $5,702 74 81% 11 to 1
Average$9,187 ($6,304) $6,00586,961 53.05% 16.39 to 1