Public · Community college
Iowa Lakes Community College
Estherville, Iowa · Remote town
- 14%
- Transfer rate
- $13,933
- Avg net price
- 50%
- Grad / completion
- $43,108
- Median earnings
Iowa Lakes Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Estherville, Iowa (remote town setting), enrolling 941 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Estherville, Iowa
Estherville is a city in Estherville Township, Emmet County, Iowa, United States. Emmet County was initially created by an act of the Iowa Legislature in 1851. The area that is now Estherville saw its first settlers arrive around 1856 and into 1857. The city was selected as the county seat in 1859, and was eventually incorporated in 1881. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 96 miles to Sioux Falls, SD
- To Great Lakes shore
- 267 miles
- Nearest airport
- 67 miles to Fort Dodge (FOD)
How Iowa Lakes Community College compares
Higher than 37% · #27 of 39 in Iowa
Higher than 25%
Higher than 79% · #4 of 38 in Iowa
Cheaper than 55% · #20 cheapest of 39 in Iowa
Lower than 29%
Lower than 67%
Larger than 72%
Percentiles compare Iowa Lakes 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
- Women46449%
- Men47751%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White74%
- Black4.4%
- Hispanic7.8%
- Asian1.6%
- Other or multiracial13%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 941
- Student–faculty ratio
- 13 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 19%
- First-generation students
- 37%
- Students over 25
- 9%
- Median family income
- $36,840
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $57,726
- Endowment
- $9,253,813
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 414 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Iowa76%
- Other U.S. states24%
Most first-years stay in state — Iowa Lakes 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
- $7,392
- Out-of-state tuition
- $7,872
- Room & board
- $8,310
- Books & supplies
- $1,090
- Total cost of attendance
- $20,120
- Average net price
- $13,933
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
- 50%
- First-year retention
- 61%
- Transferred to another college
- 14%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $37,209
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $43,108
- Median debt at graduation
- $12,000
- Students with federal loans
- 18%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 49%
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
- 507
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 54%
- Housing charge (year)
- $3,150
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,860
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 226 (142 men · 84 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 (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.3 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 5 campuses (1,945 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: 62% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,169. 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 293 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)
- $43,108
- Typical debt at graduation
- $12,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 28%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 54%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.8 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 $14,503 (40%) 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
- 82°F
- Winter low
- 5°F
- Annual rain
- 31.7″
- Annual snow
- 41.5″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Estherville 4E, IA US station (4.4 mi from campus).
What Iowa Lakes 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 Iowa Lakes Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Iowa Lakes Community College side by side →
North Iowa Area Community College
Mason City, Iowa · Fringe rural · 110 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 1,320
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $43k
Northeast Iowa Community College
Calmar, Iowa · Distant rural · 83 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 1,697
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $41k
Indian Hills Community College
Ottumwa, Iowa · Remote town · 74 mi to Des Moines
- Students
- 1,495
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $41k
Southwestern Community College
Creston, Iowa · Remote town · 53 mi to Des Moines
- Students
- 729
- Tuition
- $8k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $40k
Ellsworth Community College
Iowa Falls, Iowa · Remote town · 68 mi to Des Moines
- Students
- 499
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 29%
- Earnings
- $41k
Northwest Iowa Community College
Sheldon, Iowa · Remote town · 49 mi to Sioux Falls
- Students
- 864
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $51k
Colleges near Iowa Lakes Community College
Faust Institute of Cosmetology-Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 22 students
Avalon School of Cosmetology
Worthington, MN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 15 students
Northwest Iowa Community College
Sheldon, IA · Public · Associate · 864 students
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,366 students
Waldorf University
Forest City, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,827 students
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 725 students
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN · Public · Bachelor's · 11,703 students
South Central College
North Mankato, MN · Public · Associate · 1,946 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.












