Best Community Colleges in Iowa of 2023

Southeastern Community College has 2,300+ students spread over five locations, including the main campus in West Burlington, a satellite campus in Keokuk, and three centers in Burlington, Mount Pleasant, and Fort Madison. It has a range of associate degree programs, including transfer programs in biology, communications, elementary ed, and more. The school's agriculture programs are robust, and there is technical training in areas such as automotive technology, business management, construction and welding. Some programs are either partly or wholly online, and there are also weekend and evening classes for working professionals. There is on-campus daycare for students with children and housing options for those who wish to live on campus. Dual enrollment for high school students is available through the Jump Start program. SCC students have access to scholarships worth $250,000 each year, and more than 80 percent receive financial aid.

Located in Sheldon, Northwest Iowa Community College offers degree- and certificate-granting programs in business/IT, electrical/construction, general studies/transfer, health, transportation, and manufacturing. Several programs are available online, including accounting, business management, and medical coding. NCC is an Iowa Community College Online Consortium member, so online students can choose from more than 750 courses each semester. The school's student-faculty ratio is 13:1, and the average enrollment is approximately 1,700. Scholarships are available to qualifying students, including free tuition for some high-demand jobs through the Future Ready Iowa program. NCC's Workforce and Economic Development Department offers customized training programs to businesses and industries, and the school's continuing education division provides professional development, leisure, and licensure classes.

North Iowa Area Community College is the oldest two-year college in Iowa, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2018. The main campus is in Mason City and contains recently constructed buildings, including a health simulation center, a diesel technology lab, and a student learning center. The college also has centers in Charles City, Garner, Hampton, Lake Mills, and Osage. It averages 3,000 degree students each year. Seventy-five percent of the faculty have master's or doctoral degrees, and full-time faculty are the instructors for 76 percent of the classes. Transfer programs, which the school calls meta majors, are collected into seven guided pathways: agriculture, business, health sciences, human and public services, humanities, STEM, and skilled trades. A residence hall complex is available for students wishing to live on-campus, featuring free Wi-Fi access, a computer lab, and a convenience store.

Located in the small town of Creston, with centers in Red Oak and Osceola, Southwestern Community College educates about 1,500 credit students each year. It offers programs that lead to an associate of arts, an associate of science, an associate of applied science, and an associate of applied art degrees. Popular programs include electrician, registered nursing, and liberal studies. Adult and continuing education courses include literacy training, CPR first aid, and school bus driver training. SWCC offers more than 400 courses online, and some degrees, including transfer degrees, can be completed completely online. The school has four residence halls that include a traditional dormitory as well as apartment-style living. Nearby Creston, with a population of 7,500, has shopping, entertainment, recreational opportunities, and medical facilities.

Eastern Iowa Community College District is actually three colleges that merged Clinton, Scott, and Muscatine Community Colleges, creating a single school with three campuses and several centers in the Davenport area. The combined colleges educate about 8,000 students each year, with another 40,000 completing business and industry and continuing education classes. Ten degree-bearing pathways include agriculture, visual and communication arts, health sciences, and human services, and each path has a broad range of program options. More than 1,000 of the school's students take courses online, and programs such as cybersecurity, liberal arts, logistics and transportation are fully available online. An honors program provides outstanding students with opportunities to enrich their education further. Davenport, located on the Mississippi River, has a population of 102,000 and offers living options, culture, and more for students.

Iowa Lakes Community College is located in Estherville, with satellite campuses in Algona, Emmetsburg, Spirit Lake, and Spencer. It offers transfer degree programs leading to an associate of arts or associate of science degree. Career and technical programs are available in the areas of agriculture, business, communication, health, industrial technology, social and human services, and technology. The school's most popular programs are wind energy and turbine technology, accounting specialist, nursing, veterinary technician, and agriculture production technology. The student-faculty ratio is 14:1, and the graduation rate is 47 percent. Nearly a quarter of Iowa Lake's students are first-generation college students. The college awards almost $765K in scholarships each year, with the average award per student averaging $2,000. Forty-three percent of the students graduate debt-free. A simple online application matches potential students up with the more than 150 scholarships that are available.

Northeast Iowa Community College has two campuses in Calmar and Peosta, with a satellite campus in downtown Dubuque. It offers programs leading to an associate of arts, an associate of science, or an associate of applied science degree, as well as vocational programs and transfer programs for students who wish to continue their education after graduation. The 17 transfer programs include studies in agriculture, education, exercise science, psychology, and more. Courses are available both in-person and online, with evening options for working professionals. Apprenticeships are available in subjects such as agriculture business, heavy truck driving, and welding. NICC has a low student-faculty ratio of 12:1, ensuring that students receive individualized attention from their professors. The school has roughly 4,000 students, and its most popular programs include power machinery operation, business administration, and registered nursing.

Western Iowa Tech Community College is located in Sioux City, with satellite campuses in Mapleton, Le Mars, Denison, and Cherokee. It offers a range of associate-level and certificate programs in health, entrepreneurship, robotics, IT, and more. In 2015, the college added a state-of-the-art kitchen for its well-regarded culinary arts and hospitality programs, which have a 100 percent placement rate. High school students can benefit from dual-credit enrollment, which attracts more than 2,500 students to the school each year. Lifelong learning and adult classes include GED preparation, as well as leisure classes in wellness, technology, history, and more. Tuition for Iowa residents is $168 per credit hour, with non-residents paying $169. Some students are able to study for free through the Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship, which provides free tuition for high-demand jobs in agriculture, automotive technology, business, and more.

Indian Hills Community College is located at two campuses in Ottumwa and a satellite campus in Centerville. One of the Ottumwa locations, known as North Campus, is based at the Ottumwa Regional Airport and houses IHCC's aviation programs, as well as its programs in commercial driver training, welding, and auto collision repair. The school has associate-level degrees in a broad range of programs, as well as certificate, diploma, and focus area programs. IHCC's offerings include a robust selection of programs for healthcare professions, such as paramedic, dental, and clinical lab assistant courses of study. Professional development classes are also available for those already in the workforce. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1, indicating a high level of interaction between students and professors. Housing options include double occupancy, apartment-style, and single-unit living. All residence halls have Wi-Fi access, cable, and phone service.

Located in Marshalltown with a satellite campus in Grinnell, MCC offers 50+ degree and diploma programs to its approximately 2,000 students. MCC has a student-faculty ratio of 13:1, with an average class size of 17 students. The school offers transfer, diploma, certificate, and other programs in various areas, including manufacturing and skilled trades, health and wellness, criminal justice, and IT. One of MCC's innovative programs is its Hispanic Initiative, which provides opportunities and programming unique to the school's diverse student population, which includes 21 percent Latinx students. The school is one of four in the state that has been awarded the Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution designation from Excelencia in Education. The college has a 19:1 student-faculty ratio and an undergraduate population of nearly 2,000 students.