Iowa Lakes Community College
Estherville, Iowa · Website
$43,108
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$43,108
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Iowa Lakes Community College is a public 2-year college in Estherville, Iowa with 941 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $13,933 a year (tuition and fees $7,392 in-state, $7,872 out-of-state). 50% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $43,108 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $12,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$13,933
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$7,392
Out-of-state $7,872
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
50%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$12,000
About $127 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$43,108
Rank 2,219 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $13,933
- Tuition in-state
- $7,392
- Tuition out-of-state
- $7,872
- Cost of attendance
- $20,120
- Students with a need-based grant
- 19%
- Students with federal loans
- 18%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,420
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,764
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $13,097
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,461
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $17,325
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $5,676 in 2015-16 to $7,392 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 941
- Part-time students
- 30%
- Women
- 47%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Retention rate
- 61%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 54
- Endowment
- $9.25M
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,219 of 5,094 US colleges and 33 of 69 in Iowa (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | IA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $13,933 | $17,730 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $7,392 | $20,270 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 80% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 50% | 65% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 61% | 74% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $12,000 | $14,745 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $37,209 | $39,099 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $43,108 | $42,793 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 54% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 65% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
54 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 146 | $11,000 | $31,966 | $40,957 | $44,125 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 30 | $20,426 | $61,157 | $64,140 | $80,813 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | $51,598 | $58,424 |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | $36,699 | $41,460 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,073 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,825 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,706 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $70,808 |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Agricultural MechanizationAssociate's | Associate's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $61,712 |
| Agricultural Production OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $42,438 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,702 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchAssociate's | Associate's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $45,634 |
| Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $29,652 |
| Computer ProgrammingAssociate's | Associate's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 5 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Air TransportationAssociate's | Associate's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $75,495 |
| CarpentersAssociate's | Associate's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,382 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,660 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 3 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 3 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationAssociate's | Associate's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,074 |
| Legal Support ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| CarpentersCertificate | Certificate | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,835 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Estherville and Iowa on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Iowa
- Homes: Homes for sale in Iowa
Questions and answers
How much does Iowa Lakes Community College cost?
$13,933 a year is the average net price at Iowa Lakes Community College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $7,392 for in-state students and $7,872 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $20,120. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,420 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Iowa Lakes Community College?
Iowa Lakes Community College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Iowa Lakes Community College graduates earn?
$43,108 a year is the median pay of former Iowa Lakes Community College students who work, 10 years after they started ($37,209 after 6 years). That ranks 2,219 of 5,094 US colleges and 33 of 69 in Iowa. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $61,157.
How much student debt do Iowa Lakes Community College graduates have?
$12,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Iowa Lakes Community College graduates, about $127 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 18% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Iowa Lakes Community College?
50% of first-time, full-time students at Iowa Lakes Community College finish within 3 years. 61% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at Iowa Lakes Community College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (146 associate's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (30 associate's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (21 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 54 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.