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Northeast Iowa Community College

#7 Best Nursing Colleges in Iowa
Public Calmar, IA · Rural · Plains · 87% data
B Affordability B- Value C Earnings
Graduation Rate
50% C-
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$41,306 C
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$11,272 B
34% less than the typical college
Enrollment
1,697
Earnings +1% vs avg
Graduation -13% vs avg
Net Price +-34% vs avg
Mobility Top 75%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 19.6× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $19.6 over 20 years. Ranked #7 in Best Nursing Colleges in Iowa.

19.6× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $19.6 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $839,162.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Every $1 invested returns $19.6 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Northeast Iowa Community College Matters

Northeast Iowa Community College is a public community college in Calmar, 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
1,697
Setting
Rural
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Humanities, Business & Marketing, Mechanic & Repair Tech

Why students choose Northeast Iowa Community College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C
Top 52% overall
C
Earnings
$41,306 median
B-
Value
3.7× net price
B
Affordability
$11,272/yr net
C-
Graduation
50% graduate
D
Social Mobility
1.0% climb Q1→Q5
D
Diversity
0.33 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Half of the students at Northeast Iowa Community College graduate within three years. This completion rate is a crucial factor for prospective students weighing their options. With a total enrollment of 1,697, the college cultivates a focused environment for academic pursuit.

Data from Opportunity Insights highlights the potential for upward mobility among graduates. While specific mobility metrics aren't available, the average earnings for alumni ten years after graduation stand at $41,306. This figure suggests that graduates can successfully transition into the workforce, particularly in fields like Health Professions and Mechanic & Repair Tech.

Affordability is another strong point. The net price for students is $11,272, with median debt at $12,000, making it accessible for many. A quarter of students receive Pell Grants, indicating support for low-income individuals. Those who thrive here are often those seeking practical skills and training for immediate employment in various trades and professions.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Northeast Iowa Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Northeast Iowa Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Calmar, Iowa, Northeast Iowa Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 50%.

Retention Rate
62%
Full-Time Faculty
41%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$6,765
Student–Faculty Ratio
15:1
Diversity Index
0.33
First-Gen Students
37%

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 Northeast Iowa Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Northeast Iowa Community College is $7,770, 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 $11,272. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,137 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$6,780
Out-of-State
$7,770
Avg Net Price
$11,272
Median Debt
$12,000
Pell Grant Rate
23%
Federal Loan Rate
15%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$9,137
Family Income $30K–$48K
$8,176
Family Income $48K–$75K
$12,225
Family Income $110K+
$16,353

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 Northeast Iowa Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Northeast Iowa Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Northeast Iowa Community College report median earnings of $41,306, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$38,805
8 Years
$41,687
10 Years
$41,306
Debt-to-Earnings
0.29x
Earning > $25K
56%

Earnings Trajectory

$38,805 6yr $41,687 8yr $41,306 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (126)
35%
100% (126)
35%
100% (126)
35%
100% (126)
35%

How Northeast Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation50%Earnings 10yr$41KNet Price$11KRetention62%Median Debt$12KPell Grant Rate23%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$9K$0-30K$8K$30-48K$12K$48-75K$16K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%9.4%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%10.7%MOBILITY1.01%

College ROI Calculator

Is Northeast Iowa Community College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Northeast Iowa Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $11,272/year ($45,088 total). Graduates earn $41,306 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $884,250 in total earnings — a net gain of $839,162 (19.6× your investment). The median debt is $12,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 50% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$45,088
Projected 20yr Earnings
$884,250
Net Return
$839,162
ROI Multiple
19.6×
Cost Per Year
$11,272
Median Debt
$12,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
50%

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 Northeast Iowa Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Northeast Iowa 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 1.01%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 9.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 10.7% 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
1.01%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
10.7%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
9.4%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$87,497
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Northeast Iowa 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 Northeast Iowa Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.36, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.36
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.00
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
5.6%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$3,969,425
Federal Grants
$4,508,972
Investment Income
$151,425

Top Programs

The fields Northeast Iowa 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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Northeast Iowa Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Calmar, Iowa, Northeast Iowa Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 50%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Northeast Iowa Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Northeast Iowa Community College is $7,770, 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 $11,272. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,137 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.

Is Northeast Iowa Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Northeast Iowa Community College report median earnings of $41,306, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Northeast Iowa Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Northeast Iowa 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 1.01%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 9.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 10.7% 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 Northeast Iowa 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 Northeast Iowa Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.36, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Northeast Iowa Community College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys