Public · Community college
Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, Iowa · Large suburb
- 17%
- Transfer rate
- $11,171
- Avg net price
- 39%
- Grad / completion
- $41,018
- Median earnings
Des Moines Area Community College is a public certificate-granting institution in Ankeny, Iowa (large suburb setting), enrolling 10,446 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Ankeny, Iowa
Ankeny is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States and a suburb of the state capital of Des Moines. Ankeny was founded as an agrarian community on April 22, 1875, by John Fletcher Ankeny and Sarah "Sally" Ankeny (née Wolgamot) on 80 acres purchased on July 11, 1874, for $1,600. The town, a single square mile, was formally incorporated on February 28, 1903. There used to be a YMCA in Ankeny, of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. It closed on March 1, 2019, due to problems with funding and a decline in membership. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 8 miles to Des Moines, IA
- To Great Lakes shore
- 300 miles
- Nearest airport
- 12 miles to Des Moines (DSM) · major hub
How Des Moines Area Community College compares
Higher than 25% · #38 of 39 in Iowa
Higher than 30%
Higher than 73% · #10 of 38 in Iowa
Cheaper than 66% · #11 cheapest of 39 in Iowa
Lower than 36%
Lower than 23%
Larger than 97%
Percentiles compare Des Moines Area Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Iowa.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women5,71655%
- Men4,73045%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White66%
- Black10%
- Hispanic12%
- Asian4.3%
- Other or multiracial7.8%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 10,446
- Student–faculty ratio
- 21 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 16%
- First-generation students
- 37%
- Students over 25
- 16%
- Median family income
- $34,507
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $73,737
- Endowment
- $7,022,159
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 2,868 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Iowa98%
- Other U.S. states1.9%
Most first-years stay in state — Des Moines Area Community College draws overwhelmingly from Iowa.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $5,790
- Out-of-state tuition
- $6,690
- Room & board
- $8,244
- Books & supplies
- $810
- Total cost of attendance
- $16,204
- Average net price
- $11,171
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 39%
- First-year retention
- 63%
- Transferred to another college
- 17%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $39,349
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $41,018
- Median debt at graduation
- $11,000
- Students with federal loans
- 11%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 35%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 224
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 2%
- Housing charge (year)
- $5,400
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 182 (102 men · 80 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (6)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 12 campuses (23,697 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 19% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,643. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,662 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $41,018
- Typical debt at graduation
- $11,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 27%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 53%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $10,631 (29%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 86°F
- Winter low
- 12°F
- Annual rain
- 37″
- Annual snow
- 24.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ankeny, IA US station (2.6 mi from campus).
What Des Moines Area Community College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Des Moines Area Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Des Moines Area Community College side by side →
Kirkwood Community College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa · Midsize city · 5 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 7,591
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $41k
Eastern Iowa Community College District
Davenport, Iowa · Midsize city · 64 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 3,520
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $39k
Delaware Technical Community College-Terry
Dover, Delaware · Small city · 56 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 10,867
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $41k
Santa Fe College
Gainesville, Florida · Midsize suburb · 7 mi to Gainesville
- Students
- 11,122
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 19%
- Earnings
- $42k
Iowa Central Community College
Fort Dodge, Iowa · Remote town · 69 mi to Des Moines
- Students
- 3,103
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $42k
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Large city · 1 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 11,948
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $41k
Colleges near Des Moines Area Community College
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary
Ankeny, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 405 students
Grand View University
Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,486 students
La James International College-Johnston
Johnston, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 141 students
Drake University
Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,543 students
Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines
Des Moines, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 74 students
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 867 students
UnityPoint Health-Des Moines School of Radiologic Technology
Des Moines, IA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 16 students
Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School
Urbandale, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 45 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.











