Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, IA · 11 reportable field-and-credential outcomes

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$198,406 over 10 years

Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

59.5 yrsModeled economic break-even
−83%Modeled 10-year ROI
$49,011Observed earnings · year 5
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK

Estimated payoff over ten years.

The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$198,406at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$238,5160
2
4
6
8
−$198,40610
Years after graduationBreak-even: 59.5 years
FEDERAL COST DATA

Four ways to read college price.

Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.

Published in-state tuition$6,930
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$7,080
Sticker price
Average net price$14,629
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$18,978
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
OBSERVED FEDERAL MEASURES

Cost, completion and earnings context

$14,629Average net price / year
$18,978Cost of attendance
$49,011Median earnings · year 5 after completion
40.0%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
2,916Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.

60thEarnings percentile
24thCompletion percentile
EARNINGS PATH

Reported earnings over time

$39,698Year 1
$51,139Year 4
$49,011Year 5

Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.

PROGRAM PAYOFF SPREAD

The college average is not the whole story.

Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.

1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$80,7262Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$72,7593Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$71,5024Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$62,4005Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$62,2406Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$49,6407Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$42,9878Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$41,974

Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding

BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

Comparable colleges in IA

Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.

Ankeny, IA

Des Moines Area Community College

Annual net price
$11,171
Observed earnings · year 5
$48,336
Modeled 10-year ROI
-85%
Open college profile →
Cedar Falls, IA

University of Northern Iowa

Annual net price
$15,901
Observed earnings · year 5
$52,258
Modeled 10-year ROI
-70%
Open college profile →
Davenport, IA

Eastern Iowa Community College District

Annual net price
$14,017
Observed earnings · year 5
$44,928
Modeled 10-year ROI
-100%
Open college profile →
Ottumwa, IA

Indian Hills Community College

Annual net price
$10,693
Observed earnings · year 5
$47,826
Modeled 10-year ROI
-87%
Open college profile →
ALL REPORTABLE PROGRAM CATEGORIES

Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes

Federal fieldCredentialEarnings, year 4Federal debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree$80,726$27,938
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$72,759$18,000
Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's Degree$71,502$26,481
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree$62,400$13,000
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$62,240$7,110
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's Degree$49,640Not available
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree$42,987$11,193
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree$41,974Not available
Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma$37,532Not available
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree$35,425$12,000
Precision Metal WorkingUndergraduate Certificate or DiplomaNot available$5,500

Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.