Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs, Iowa · Website
$42,793
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$42,793
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Iowa Western Community College is a public 2-year college in Council Bluffs, Iowa with 2,916 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $14,629 a year (tuition and fees $6,930 in-state, $7,080 out-of-state). 40% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $42,793 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $11,033 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$14,629
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$6,930
Out-of-state $7,080
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
40%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$11,033
About $117 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$42,793
Rank 2,263 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
- $14,629
- Tuition in-state
- $6,930
- Tuition out-of-state
- $7,080
- Cost of attendance
- $18,978
- Students with a need-based grant
- 24%
- Students with federal loans
- 20%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $13,099
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $12,217
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $14,706
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $17,225
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $18,209
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 $5,216 in 2015-16 to $6,930 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
- 2,916
- Part-time students
- 37%
- Women
- 56%
- Students per teacher
- 22
- Completion rate
- 40%
- Retention rate
- 57%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 72
- Endowment
- $33.8M
- 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 2,263 of 5,094 US colleges and 35 of 69 in Iowa (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | IA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $14,629 | $17,730 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $6,930 | $20,270 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 80% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 40% | 65% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 57% | 74% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $11,033 | $14,745 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $35,628 | $39,099 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $42,793 | $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. 43% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 60% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
72 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 | 321 | $10,958 | $28,291 | $42,987 | $44,125 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 118 | $12,229 | $33,043 | $72,759 | $56,073 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 99 | $20,000 | $65,268 | $80,726 | $80,813 |
| Precision Metal WorkingCertificate | Certificate | 81 | $5,500 | $27,761 | Withheld | $48,702 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 44 | $6,500 | $47,545 | $62,240 | $51,586 |
| Construction Trades, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,529 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementCertificate | Certificate | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,135 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)Certificate | Certificate | 26 | Withheld | $52,345 | Withheld | $48,148 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $30,572 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 25 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,492 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 24 | $13,000 | $46,852 | $62,400 | $58,424 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 23 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $52,615 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 23 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Psychology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 23 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersCertificate | Certificate | 23 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,078 |
| Plumbing and Related Water Supply ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer ProgrammingOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,556 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 17 | Withheld | $64,917 | $71,502 | $61,982 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | $11,000 | $24,428 | $35,425 | $35,660 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | $37,532 | $33,673 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $47,440 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Council Bluffs and Iowa on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Iowa
- Homes: Homes for sale in Iowa
Questions and answers
How much does Iowa Western Community College cost?
$14,629 a year is the average net price at Iowa Western Community College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $6,930 for in-state students and $7,080 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $18,978. Families earning under $30,000 pay $13,099 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Iowa Western Community College?
Iowa Western Community College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Iowa Western Community College graduates earn?
$42,793 a year is the median pay of former Iowa Western Community College students who work, 10 years after they started ($35,628 after 6 years). That ranks 2,263 of 5,094 US colleges and 35 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 $65,268.
How much student debt do Iowa Western Community College graduates have?
$11,033 is the median federal student loan debt of Iowa Western Community College graduates, about $117 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 20% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Iowa Western Community College?
40% of first-time, full-time students at Iowa Western Community College finish within 3 years. 57% 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 Western Community College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (321 associate's graduates), Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (118 certificate graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (99 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 72 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.