Active Report Report ID: EDU-153296-2026

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, IA 50126

Tuition$5,496Published sticker
Avg. net price$11,451After aid
Graduation rate37.50%150% time
Median salary$40,56210yr post-entry
ROI786%10yr vs net cost

About Ellsworth Community College

Ellsworth Community College is a public community college in Iowa Falls, Iowa, enrolling about 499 students. The college offers associate degrees, career certificates, and transfer pathways to four-year universities. Typical net price after grant aid is about $11,451 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $5,496. Student demographics in federal data include White (62.9%) and Black or African American (16.8%) among the largest enrollment groups.

Key findings

  • Ellsworth Community College charges at the national public median tuition ($5,496).
  • Versus the Iowa median, sticker tuition is about 0.3×.
  • Completion within 150% of normal time is 37.50%.
  • Median earnings 10 years after entry are $40,562.

Research findings

01

Finding

Modeled return on investment at Ellsworth Community College is strong.

Estimated ROI reaches about 786% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.

— Evidence from EDsmart Data analysis

Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.

Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.

Cost benchmarks

Benchmark Median Tuition Median Net Price Count
Ellsworth Community College$5,496$11,4511
Public (national median)$5,5121,688
Iowa (state median)$20,270$11,27249
Town (locale median)$9,600$14,9711,517
United States (national median)$11,900$17,156

Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.

Cost

How expensive is Ellsworth Community College really?

Source College Scorecard + EDsmart aggregatesMethod Sticker vs net; peer mediansUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Undergraduate (Title IV net price)Confidence Federal extract

Key findings

  • Ellsworth Community College charges at the national public median tuition ($5,496).
  • Versus the Iowa median, sticker tuition is about 0.3×.
Published sticker

Ellsworth Community College tuition

Published undergraduate tuition $5,496

Finding Ellsworth Community College charges at the national public median tuition.

Evidence Published tuition is $5,496. That is at the national public median ($5,512). Versus the Iowa median ($20,270), sticker tuition is about 0.3×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 0.5×.

Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.

Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to public and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.

Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.

Evidence: published tuition at Ellsworth Community College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.

Evidence: average net price at Ellsworth Community College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.

Average net price

What undergraduates typically pay

Finding Average net price at Ellsworth Community College is $11,451.

Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $11,451 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $179 above the Iowa median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $3,520 below the locale median.

Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.

Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.

Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.

Key takeaway At Ellsworth Community College, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.

School guide

Ellsworth Community College: research record

Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Ellsworth Community College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.

Research findings

Interpretation

The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.

Financial profile

In-state tuition

$5,496

Out-of-state tuition

$6,504

Avg. net price

$11,451

Net price by family income

Income bracketAvg. annual net price
$0–$30,000$9,121
$30,001–$48,000$8,203
$48,001–$75,000$12,486
$75,001–$110,000$13,685
$110,001+$14,742

Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $21,984. See cost investigation.

Student outcomes

First-year retention63.8%

Share of first-year students returning the following fall.

$31,739Median earnings (6 years after entry)

Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.

Is Ellsworth Community College a good school?

Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.

Ellsworth Community College is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.

EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.

Earnings outcomes
Campus snapshot

More from the data

Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Ellsworth Community College.

Campus

Location

Iowa Falls, IA

City / state

ZIP
50126
NCES locale
Town remote

Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is 24% below the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).

Control

Institution type

Public

Control

Region
Plains
Carnegie
Associate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Vocational & Technical-High Traditional

Size

Enrollment

499

Total enrollment

Undergraduate
878
Full-time share
94%

Student aid

Debt & aid

$10,000

Median federal loan debt

Pell grant share
34.77%
Cost detail

Total Cost, Aid & Default

Total Cost of Attendance

$45,804Estimated 4-year total cost
$11,451Average annual net price (after aid)
$21,9844-year in-state tuition
$26,0164-year out-of-state tuition
$9,000Room & board (annual, on-campus estimate)
$1,400Books & supplies (annual estimate)
$15,896Estimated annual sticker (tuition + room/board + books)
$63,584Estimated 4-year sticker (before aid)

Tuition vs average net price after aid for Ellsworth Community College.

Financial Aid by Income Level

34.77% Undergraduates receiving aid through grants
36.06% Undergraduates receiving aid through loans

Financial aid distribution by income level.

Student Loan Default Rate

0.00% 3-year cohort default rate (College Scorecard)

The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Ellsworth Community College was 0.00%.

Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.

Multi-year tracker

Tuition tracker

Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Ellsworth Community College in that year.

Reporting years in the table below: 20132023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).

Year In-state tuition & fees Out-of-state tuition & fees Average net price
2013$4,176$4,944$11,446
2014$4,296$5,064$11,425
2015$4,416$5,184$12,756
2016$4,536$5,424$10,292
2017$4,656$5,592$11,521
2018$4,776$5,712$11,143
2019$4,896$5,832$11,198
2020$4,968$5,904$10,846
2021$5,040$6,048$11,075
2022$5,184$6,192$10,022
2023$5,304$6,312$10,915

Sticker tuition and net price over time

Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.

College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).

Net price by family income

Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).

Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.

Access

How difficult is it to get in?

Acceptance Rate

Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.

Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.

Test Scores

Test score data is not available for this institution.

Score distribution is not available for this institution.

Academic Requirements

GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.

Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.

Student body

Enrollment & Student Demographics

Ellsworth Community College reported total enrollment of about 499 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 51% male and 49% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (62.9%), Black or African American (16.8%), and Hispanic or Latino (7.2%). About 34.77% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 31.5% of students are first-generation college students.

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

93.8% Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Ellsworth Community College in 2024 is 499 students.

Undergraduate enrollment is about 878 students.

Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.

Retention Rate over Time

63.8%
2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.

Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

62.9%White or Caucasian
9Reported race/ethnicity groups

Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.

  • White or Caucasian62.9%
  • Black or African American16.8%
  • Hispanic or Latino7.2%
  • Non-Resident Alien6.6%
  • Two or More Races4.4%
  • Race/ethnicity unknown0.8%
  • Asian0.6%
  • American Indian or Alaska Native0.6%
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0.0%

College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).

Outcomes

Do students complete their programs?

Time to Complete

33.80% 100% Completion Time

37.50% 150% Completion Time

In 2024, 33.80% of students graduating from Ellsworth Community College completed their program within 100% "normal time".

Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.

Completions by Sex (Top Programs)

  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies: 70% male / 30% female
  • Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training: 5% male / 95% female
  • 00.0010: 32% male / 68% female

IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).

Completions by Race & Ethnicity

147White or Caucasian
7Reported groups

Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.

  • White or Caucasian147
  • Black or African American26
  • Hispanic or Latino18
  • Two or More Races8
  • Asian2
  • American Indian or Alaska Native1
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander1

Summed across program completion records in our extract.

Outcomes & academic profile

Ellsworth Community College graduates earn a median of $40,562 ten years after entry

Source College ScorecardMethod Earnings + debt + net price modelsUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Institution-wideConfidence Federal extract

Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Ellsworth Community College.

Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $40,562. Median federal loan debt: $10,000. Average net price used in cost models: $11,451.

Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.

Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.

Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.

Key takeaway Ellsworth Community College graduates report median earnings of $40,562 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.

Return on Investment

786%Modeled return on investment
$10,000Median student debt
$40,562Median annual earnings (10 years)
24.65%Debt-to-earnings ratio
2.5 yearsEstimated payback period

Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Ellsworth Community College.

Top Programs by Completions

Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (25 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).

  1. 00.0010 19
  2. Horse Husbandry/Equine Science and Management 17
  3. Agricultural Production Operations, Other 11

IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Ellsworth Community College.

Employment Outcomes

$40,562Median earnings (10 years after entry)
$31,739Median earnings (6 years after entry)
$37,530Median earnings (8 years after entry)
87.47%Working & not enrolled (8-year cohort share)

Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Ellsworth Community College graduates.

Institutional resources

Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Ellsworth Community College—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.

Instructional Resources

  • Full-time faculty share: 100.0%
    • Iowa median 12.4 pp above median (87.6%)
    • Plains median 35.3 pp above median (64.7%)
    • U.S. median 42.0 pp above median (58.0%)
  • Average faculty salary (monthly): $7,806
    • Iowa median 1.1× the median ($7,039)
    • Plains median 1.1× the median ($7,194)
    • U.S. median near the median ($7,615)
  • Instructional expenditure per FTE: $9,137
    • Iowa median 1.1× the median ($8,352)
    • Plains median 1.1× the median ($8,150)
    • U.S. median 1.3× the median ($7,288)

Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.

Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.

Ellsworth Community College at a glance

Institution snapshot

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, IA 50126 · Public · Plains

Ellsworth Community College is a public institution in Iowa Falls, IA, classified as Associate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Vocational & Technical-High Traditional.

Tuition$5,496
Avg. net price$11,451
Enrollment499
Completion (150%)37.50%
Pell Grant share34.77%
First-generation31.5%
Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal StudiesLicensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training00.0010
Largest enrollment groups
White or Caucasian62.9%
Black or African American16.8%
Hispanic or Latino7.2%
Nearby

Schools near Ellsworth Community College

Other campuses in Iowa Falls, IA when available, plus nearby institutions in Iowa.

Peers

Similar schools

Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade D) within Iowa, then by similar ownership and admissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Ellsworth Community College located?

Ellsworth Community College is located in Iowa Falls, IA.

What is Ellsworth Community College's tuition?

Ellsworth Community College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $5,496 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $11,451 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.

How much does Ellsworth Community College cost?

Reported tuition is $5,496 and average net price is $11,451 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $9,000 annually.

What explains Ellsworth Community College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?

EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($11,451), completion (37.5% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($40,562). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.

What is the student body demographics at Ellsworth Community College?

Ellsworth Community College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 878 students, White (62.9%), Black or African American (16.8%) in federal College Scorecard data.

How many first-generation students attend Ellsworth Community College?

About 31.5% of students at Ellsworth Community College are first-generation college students.

What do graduates of Ellsworth Community College earn?

Median earnings are $31,739 six years after entry and $40,562 ten years after entry.

What is the graduation rate at Ellsworth Community College?

The 150%-time completion rate is 37.5% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.

How much debt do Ellsworth Community College students have?

Median federal loan debt among completers is $10,000.

Is Ellsworth Community College public or private?

Ellsworth Community College is a public institution located in Iowa Falls, IA.

Is Ellsworth Community College an HBCU?

No. Ellsworth Community College is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.

Is Ellsworth Community College a tribal college?

No. Ellsworth Community College is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology & Data Scope

This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.

Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.