Kirkwood Community College
#4 Most Affordable Colleges in Iowa- Graduation Rate
- 42% D+
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $41,016 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $9,705 B
- 43% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 7,591
Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 23.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $23.3 over 20 years. Ranked #4 in Most Affordable Colleges in Iowa.
Every $1 spent returns $23.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $867,509.
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 42% — 27% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $23.3 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.1%
- Top 98%
- Patents
- 17
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 37
- Downstream influence
Why Kirkwood Community College Matters
Kirkwood Community College is a public community college in Cedar Rapids, 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
- 7,591
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Business & Marketing
Why students choose Kirkwood 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 $9,705 a year after grants and scholarships — 43% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $41,016 ten years after enrolling — 1% above the typical college, against $12,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 0.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 82% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.43 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Kirkwood Community College serves 7,591 students and maintains a net price of $9,705, making it an accessible option for many. With a graduation rate of 42%, the college supports a diverse student body in pursuing various career pathways, including humanities, health professions, and technical fields.
Data from Opportunity Insights showcases that students from lower-income backgrounds have opportunities for upward mobility after attending Kirkwood. While specific mobility rates are not available, the college’s focus on practical programs aligns with strong job placement rates in fields like business and IT, which can enhance economic prospects for graduates.
Graduates of Kirkwood earn an average of $41,016 a decade after enrollment, a solid return on investment given the median debt of $12,000. Students who thrive here are often those looking for a practical education that leads directly to employment. The college is particularly suited for individuals pursuing technical skills or those entering health professions, where demand continues to grow.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Kirkwood Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 42%.
- Retention Rate
- 71%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 100%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $8,363
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 19:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.55
- First-Gen Students
- 39%
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 Kirkwood Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Kirkwood Community College is $8,220, 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 $9,705. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,967 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $6,176
- Out-of-State
- $8,220
- Avg Net Price
- $9,705
- Median Debt
- $12,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 24%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 21%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $6,967
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $7,084
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $9,514
- Family Income $110K+
- $14,091
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 Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Kirkwood Community College report median earnings of $41,016, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $37,525
- 8 Years
- $38,825
- 10 Years
- $41,016
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.29x
- Earning > $25K
- 58%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (513)
- 26%
- 100% (513)
- 26%
- 100% (513)
- 26%
- 100% (513)
- 26%
How Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Kirkwood Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $9,705/year ($38,820 total). Graduates earn $41,016 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $906,329 in total earnings — a net gain of $867,509 (23.3× your investment). The median debt is $12,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 42% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $38,820
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $906,329
- Net Return
- $867,509
- ROI Multiple
- 23.3×
- Cost Per Year
- $9,705
- Median Debt
- $12,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 42%
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 Kirkwood Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Kirkwood Community College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.91%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 8.1% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 11.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $75,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 0.91%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 11.3%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 8.1%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $101,899
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Kirkwood Community College produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 17 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.10%
- Top 98% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 17
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 37
- Downstream influence
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 0.09%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $954,505
- Investment Income
- $1,809,716
Top Programs
The fields Kirkwood 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.
- Humanities 21%
- Health Professions 18% $60,662 early-career
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 17% $46,778 early-career
- Business & Marketing 16% $43,576 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 3% $52,703 early-career
- Precision Production 3% $49,122 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 2% $41,235 early-career
- Criminal Justice 2%
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 Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Kirkwood Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 42%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Kirkwood Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Kirkwood Community College is $8,220, 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 $9,705. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,967 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.
Is Kirkwood Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Kirkwood Community College report median earnings of $41,016, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Kirkwood Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Kirkwood Community College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.91%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 8.1% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 11.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $75,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.43, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Kirkwood Community College.
- UCNJ Union College of Union County New JerseyCranford, NJ · Close peer35% grad $41,595 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Los Medanos CollegePittsburg, CA · Close peer40% grad $42,454 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Los Angeles Harbor CollegeWilmington, CA · Close peer36% grad $41,133 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
- Contra Costa CollegeSan Pablo, CA · Close peer30% grad $40,850 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Metropolitan Community College-Kansas CityKansas City, MO · Close peer31% grad $40,796 earnWhy: similar earnings
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Kirkwood 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 Kirkwood Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.43, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note