Public · Community college
Iowa Western Community College
Council Bluffs, Iowa · Large suburb
- 22%
- Transfer rate
- $14,629
- Avg net price
- 40%
- Grad / completion
- $42,793
- Median earnings
Iowa Western Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Council Bluffs, Iowa (large suburb setting), enrolling 2,916 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The first Council Bluff (which is singular) was on the Nebraska side of the river at Fort Atkinson, about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of the city of Council Bluffs. It was named by Lewis and Clark for a bluff where they met the Otoe people on August 2, 1804. Council Bluffs is the location of the Pottawattamie County "Squirrel Cage" Jail, in use from 1885 until 1969, which is one of three remaining examples of a Rotary Jail. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 7 miles to Omaha, NE
- To Great Lakes shore
- 417 miles
- Nearest airport
- 5 miles to Eppley Airfield (OMA) · major hub
How Iowa Western Community College compares
Higher than 26% · #37 of 39 in Iowa
Higher than 18%
Higher than 79% · #6 of 38 in Iowa
Cheaper than 52% · #23 cheapest of 39 in Iowa
Lower than 35%
Lower than 21%
Larger than 85%
Percentiles compare Iowa Western 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
- Women1,57554%
- Men1,34146%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White58%
- Black13%
- Hispanic12%
- Asian1.5%
- Other or multiracial15%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 2,916
- Student–faculty ratio
- 22 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 24%
- First-generation students
- 42%
- Students over 25
- 14%
- Median family income
- $29,881
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $60,300
- Endowment
- $33,787,705
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 1,162 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Iowa52%
- Other U.S. states43%
- International5.1%
A regional draw: about 52% of first-years come from Iowa, the rest from elsewhere.
5% came from outside the U.S. 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
- $6,930
- Out-of-state tuition
- $7,080
- Room & board
- $8,750
- Books & supplies
- $1,290
- Total cost of attendance
- $18,978
- Average net price
- $14,629
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
- 40%
- First-year retention
- 57%
- Transferred to another college
- 22%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $35,628
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $42,793
- Median debt at graduation
- $11,033
- Students with federal loans
- 20%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 38%
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
- 1,191
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 41%
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 837 (553 men · 284 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 (14)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 3.9 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 33
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 32
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 7 campuses (5,540 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: 43% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,002. 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 861 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)
- $42,793
- Typical debt at graduation
- $11,033
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 26%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 50%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.6 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 $10,048 (26%) 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
- 88°F
- Winter low
- 15°F
- Annual rain
- 31.9″
- Annual snow
- 27.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Omaha Eppley Airfield, NE US station (5.9 mi from campus).
What Iowa Western 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 Western Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Iowa Western Community College side by side →
Eastern Iowa Community College District
Davenport, Iowa · Midsize city · 64 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 3,520
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $39k
Northeast Iowa Community College
Calmar, Iowa · Distant rural · 83 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 1,697
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $41k
Hawkeye Community College
Waterloo, Iowa · Fringe rural · 46 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 2,626
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $43k
Iowa Central Community College
Fort Dodge, Iowa · Remote town · 69 mi to Des Moines
- Students
- 3,103
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $42k
Indian Hills Community College
Ottumwa, Iowa · Remote town · 74 mi to Des Moines
- Students
- 1,495
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $41k
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Sioux City, Iowa · Small city · 76 mi to Sioux Falls
- Students
- 2,647
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $40k
Colleges near Iowa Western Community College
SOHO Hair Academy
Council Bluffs, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 66 students
Creighton University
Omaha, NE · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 4,348 students
Metropolitan Community College Area
Omaha, NE · Public · Associate · 8,775 students
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE · Public · Bachelor's · 938 students
Clarkson College
Omaha, NE · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 622 students
Universal College of Healing Arts
Omaha, NE · Private for-profit · Certificate · 26 students
Bellevue University
Bellevue, NE · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 10,220 students
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE · Public · Bachelor's · 11,488 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.










