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Iowa Lakes Community College

19 S 7th St
Estherville, IA 51334

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Tel: (712) 362-2601

www.iowalakes.edu

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Mission of the college is to provide opportunities for quality lifelong learning and promote economic development for our communities.

School Highlights

Iowa Lakes Community College serves 2,048 students (42% of students are full-time).

The college's student:teacher ratio of 8:1 is lower than the state community college average of 17:1.

Minority enrollment is 27% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 32%.

Quick Stats (2025)

Enrollment: 2,048 students
In-state tuition: $5,516
Out-state tuition: $5,868
Student:teacher ratio: 8:1
Minority enrollment: 27%
Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Overview

The teacher population of 260 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.

Iowa Lakes Community College

(IA) Community College Avg.

Carnegie Classification

Associate's Colleges: High Career & Technical-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional

Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or nondegree-granting)

Institution Level

At least 2 but less than 4 years

Institution Control

Public

Private not-for-profit

Total Faculty

260 staff

274 staff

This chart displays total faculty of Iowa Lakes Community College and community college average number of faculty in Iowa by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

School Calendar

View School Calendar

Student Body

The student population of Iowa Lakes Community College has stayed relatively flat over five years.

The student:teacher ratio of 8:1 has decreased from 9:1 over five years.

The Iowa Lakes Community College diversity score of 0.46 is less than the state average of 0.52. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.

Total Enrollment

2,048 students

163 students

This chart displays the total enrollment of Iowa Lakes Community College and community college average number of enrollment of Iowa by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.

Student : Teacher Ratio

8:1

17:1

This chart displays the student staff ratio of Iowa Lakes Community College and community college average student staff ratio of Iowa by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

# Full-Time Students

859 students

148 students

This chart displays the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Iowa Lakes Community College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of Iowa by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.

# Part-Time Students

1,189 students

1,992 students

This chart displays the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Iowa Lakes Community College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of Iowa by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.

This chart displays the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Iowa Lakes Community College.

This chart displays community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of Iowa.

# Enrollment Undergraduate

204 students

333 students

# Full-Time Undergraduate Students

859 students

148 students

This chart displays the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Iowa Lakes Community College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Iowa by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.

# Full-Time Graduate Students

n/a

61 students

# Part-Time Undergraduate Students

1,189 students

2,075 students

# Part-Time Graduate Students

n/a

403 students

Total Dormitory Capacity

507 students

400 students

This chart displays the dormitory capacity of Iowa Lakes Community College and the community college average dormitory capacity of Iowa by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

% American Indian/Alaskan

n/a

% Asian

% Hispanic

% Black

% White

73%

68%

This chart displays the percentage of White students in Iowa Lakes Community College and the percentage of White community college students in Iowa by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

% Hawaiian

n/a

% Two or more races

% Non Resident races

This chart displays the percentage of Non Resident students in Iowa Lakes Community College and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in Iowa by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

% Unknown races

10%

This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Iowa Lakes Community College.

This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Iowa.

0.46

0.52

This chart displays the diversity score of Iowa Lakes Community College and the community college average diversity score of Iowa by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)

0.3736%

0.5143%

This chart displays completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Iowa Lakes Community College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Iowa by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.

College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)

n/a

0.2578%

Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)

$32,700

$33,600

This chart displays average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Iowa Lakes Community College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Iowa by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $5,516 is more than the state average of $4,331. The in-state tuition has declined by 18% over four years.

The public out-state tuition of $5,868 is more than the state average of $4,920. The out-state tuition has declined by 17% over four years.

In-State Tuition Fees

$5,516

$4,331

This chart displays tuition fees for an in-state student of Iowa Lakes Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of Iowa by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.

Out-State Tuition Fees

$5,868

$4,920

This chart displays tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Iowa Lakes Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Iowa by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.

% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid

87%

93%

This chart displays the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Iowa Lakes Community College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in Iowa by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Median Debt for Graduates

$11,500

$11,250

This chart displays median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Iowa Lakes Community College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in Iowa by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Median Debt for Dropouts

$5,500

This chart displays median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Iowa Lakes Community College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Iowa by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Acceptance Rate

n/a

72%

ACT Composite

n/a

ACT English

n/a

ACT Math

n/a

Source: 2024 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Notes

Iowa Lakes Community College is a public, comprehensive educational institution accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college was established in 1967 under provision of Chapters 260C and 260D, Code of Iowa. Over 73,000 people reside in this predominately rural five-county district encompassing approximately 2,900 square miles. Iowa Lakes Community College is a two-year college located in the rural northwest part of the state of Iowa in the Iowa Great Lakes region. Founded in 1967, Iowa Lakes provides affordable education to the residents of northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. The communities served by Iowa Lakes are Emmetsburg, Estherville, Algona, Spencer, Spirit Lake and Okoboji. Currently, over 3,600 students are enrolled in the liberal arts, career option, and vocational-technical programs as well as other programs. In addition, Continuing Education helps to provide lifelong learning opportunities as well as workplace training. The College is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Iowa Lakes Community College cost?

Iowa Lakes Community College's tuition is approximately $5,516 for In-State students and $5,868 for Out-State students.

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Quick Stats (2025)

Enrollment: 2,048 students
In-state tuition: $5,516
Out-state tuition: $5,868
Student:teacher ratio: 8:1
Minority enrollment: 27%
Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Did You Know?

For Iowa public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $4,331 per year for in-state students and $4,920 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $17,086 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

Iowa community colleges have a of 0.52, which is higher than the national average of 0.00. The most diverse community college in Iowa is Ross College-Davenport. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.