Public · Community college

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, Iowa · Remote town

29%
Transfer rate
$11,451
Avg net price
38%
Grad / completion
$40,562
Median earnings

Ellsworth Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Iowa Falls, Iowa (remote town setting), enrolling 499 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicSmall · 499 undergradsRemote townNJCAA Division ICold winters

About Iowa Falls, Iowa

Iowa Falls is a city in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. Iowa Falls was laid out and platted in 1856. Prior to being named Iowa Falls, the area had been known as Rocksylvania. However, due to the difficulty of pronunciation and spelling, it was then changed to Iowa Falls. It was named from the falls on the Iowa River. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Associate
To Great Lakes shore
274 miles
Nearest airport
44 miles to Mason City (MCW)

How Ellsworth Community College compares

Graduation rate38%

Higher than 23% · #39 of 39 in Iowa

First-year retention64%

Higher than 31%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$40,562

Higher than 71% · #13 of 38 in Iowa

Average net price$11,451

Cheaper than 64% · #13 cheapest of 39 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$10,000

Lower than 46%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 49%

Undergraduate enrollment499

Larger than 62%

Percentiles compare Ellsworth 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

499undergrads
  • Women20441%
  • Men29559%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White63%
  • Black17%
  • Hispanic7.2%
  • Asian0.6%
  • Other or multiracial12%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
499
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
35%
First-generation students
32%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$39,957
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$70,254

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Cost

In-state tuition
$5,496
Out-of-state tuition
$6,504
Room & board
$9,000
Books & supplies
$1,400
Total cost of attendance
$18,804
Average net price
$11,451

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
38%
First-year retention
64%
Transferred to another college
29%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$31,739
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$40,562
Median debt at graduation
$10,000
Students with federal loans
36%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
35%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
38%
Low-income (Pell)
33%
First-generation
29%

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
411
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
82%
Housing charge (year)
$3,950
Meal plan (year)
$2,550
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NJCAA Division I
Varsity athletes
240 (185 men · 55 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)

Football102
Baseball49
Basketball34
Wrestling24
Softball22
Volleyball9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
4
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (685 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.

1.3reported offenses a year
1.3 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
0.7
Fondling
0.7

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.

< $30k
$9,121
$30–48k
$8,203
$48–75k
$12,486
$75–110k
$13,685
$110k+
$14,742

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.

77%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,153
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 77% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,153. 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 242 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)
$40,562
Typical debt at graduation
$10,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
25%
Out-earn a HS grad
50%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$34,861
Men
$45,013

Men out-earn women by $10,152 (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
83°F
Winter low
8°F
Annual rain
38.1″
Annual snow
27.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.06.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Iowa Falls, IA US station (0.9 mi from campus).

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 Ellsworth Community College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Ellsworth Community College side by side →

Colleges near Ellsworth Community College

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.