Iowa Central Community College
#3 Most Affordable Colleges in Iowa- Graduation Rate
- 43% D+
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $42,046 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $9,328 B
- 46% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 3,103
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 27.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $27.3 over 20 years. Ranked #3 in Most Affordable Colleges in Iowa.
Every $1 spent returns $27.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $982,589.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduation of 43% — 25% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $27.3 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Iowa Central Community College Matters
Iowa Central Community College is a public community college in Fort Dodge, IA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Community College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 3,103
- Setting
- Town
- Primary Strengths
- Health Professions, Humanities, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Business & Marketing
Why students choose Iowa Central Community College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $9,328 a year after grants and scholarships — 46% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $42,046 ten years after enrolling — 3% above the typical college, against $11,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.2% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 65% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.34 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Iowa Central Community College serves over 3,100 students and has a graduation rate of 43%. This figure reflects the college's commitment to supporting students in achieving their academic goals while navigating a diverse array of programs. Its location in Fort Dodge, Iowa, positions it as an accessible option for students in the region.
Data from Opportunity Insights shows that graduates from Iowa Central Community College earn a median salary of $42,046 ten years after enrollment. This earning potential highlights the college's role in fostering economic mobility for its graduates, especially for those coming from lower-income backgrounds. With 35% of students receiving Pell Grants, the college plays a crucial role in making education attainable for those who might otherwise face financial barriers.
The net price of attendance is $9,328, and the median debt for graduates is $11,000, which positions Iowa Central as an affordable choice for higher education. Students who thrive here often pursue careers in Humanities, Health Professions, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Business & Marketing, and Precision Production. This variety allows students to align their education with their career aspirations while managing costs effectively.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Iowa Central Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Iowa Central Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Iowa Central Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 43%.
- Retention Rate
- 52%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 100%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $8,631
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 19:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.63
- First-Gen Students
- 40%
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Iowa Central Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Iowa Central Community College is $7,788, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $9,328. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,837 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $5,496
- Out-of-State
- $7,788
- Avg Net Price
- $9,328
- Median Debt
- $11,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 35%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 36%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $7,837
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $7,865
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $8,948
- Family Income $110K+
- $12,424
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Iowa Central Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Iowa Central Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Iowa Central Community College report median earnings of $42,046, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $35,830
- 8 Years
- $39,583
- 10 Years
- $42,046
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.26x
- Earning > $25K
- 59%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (338)
- 31%
- 100% (338)
- 31%
- 100% (338)
- 31%
- 100% (338)
- 31%
How Iowa Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Iowa Central Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Iowa Central Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $9,328/year ($37,312 total). Graduates earn $42,046 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,019,901 in total earnings — a net gain of $982,589 (27.3× your investment). The median debt is $11,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 43% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $37,312
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,019,901
- Net Return
- $982,589
- ROI Multiple
- 27.3×
- Cost Per Year
- $9,328
- Median Debt
- $11,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 43%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Iowa Central Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Iowa Central Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.21%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 11.2% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 10.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $64,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.21%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 10.8%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 11.2%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $87,497
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $6,192,856
- Investment Income
- $190,817
Top Programs
The fields Iowa Central Community College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Health Professions 36% $58,741 early-career
- Humanities 31%
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 5% $53,924 early-career
- Business & Marketing 4% $34,410 early-career
- Precision Production 4% $41,912 early-career
- Construction Trades 4%
- Criminal Justice 3% $41,840 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 2% $49,387 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Iowa Central Community College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Iowa Central Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Iowa Central Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 43%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Iowa Central Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Iowa Central Community College is $7,788, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $9,328. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,837 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,000 in federal student loans.
Is Iowa Central Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Iowa Central Community College report median earnings of $42,046, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Iowa Central Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Iowa Central Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.21%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 11.2% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 10.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $64,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Iowa Central Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Iowa Central Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.34, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Iowa Central Community College.
- St Cloud Technical and Community CollegeSaint Cloud, MN · Close peer44% grad $46,874 earnWhy: similar grad rate · similar size · similar net price
- Woodland Community CollegeWoodland, CA · Close peer40% grad $40,042 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Hagerstown Community CollegeHagerstown, MD · Close peer38% grad $41,615 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate
- Mohawk Valley Community CollegeUtica, NY · Close peer36% grad $39,850 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar net price
- Lemoore CollegeLemoore, CA · Close peer44% grad $40,292 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Berkeley City CollegeBerkeley, CA · Close peer39% grad $41,217 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Iowa Central Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Iowa Central Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.34, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note