DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Education today released the latest edition of an annual report with state-level data and information about Iowa’s community colleges.

The Condition of Iowa’s Community Colleges report includes data on programs and services, student enrollment and demographics, success and completion, college costs and affordability, instructional staff salaries and characteristics and financial information. The report also includes success stories that illustrate how community colleges impact Iowans and the economy.

“The information provided in this report shows the broad range and depth of services community colleges provide to serve the needs of their students and communities, especially during such a challenging year,” said Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo. “Iowa’s community colleges are critical partners in addressing local workforce shortages and helping Iowans access and succeed in the education and training they need for in-demand jobs in their communities.”

Highlights from the report are from the 2020-21 school year unless otherwise noted:

17,497: The number of credit awards earned (associate degrees, certificates and diplomas), up 6.6 percent from 16,413 the previous year.

46,361: The number of noncredit program awards, up from 35,540 the year before. The majority of these awards (79.3 percent) were industry-awarded credentials designed to lead to or enhance employment opportunities.

1,122: The number of jointly enrolled students who earned an associate degree, postsecondary diploma or certificate while in high school.

77,015: The number of students enrolled in online credit courses, which represents a record high. This is a 10.6 percent increase from 69,614 the previous year. Online noncredit enrollment increased 138.5 percent to 33,705 students, up from 14,123 students in the year prior.

73,175: The number of students and educators who participated in community college-sponsored work-based learning experiences, including online opportunities made available during the early days of the pandemic.

977: The number of Gap Tuition Assistance participants who entered approved noncredit certificate training programs. Of those, 638 participants completed an approved program, up from 610 the year before, and 476 earned a third-party credential, up from 415 the previous year.

116,979: The number of students enrolled in community college credit courses, down 7.9 percent from 127,013 the year before.

47,262: The number of students who enrolled in college courses while in high school (known as joint enrollment), down 8.8 percent from 51,800 the year before.

In addition, disaggregated data tables and interactive data visualization tools are also available on the Publications webpage of the Department’s website to accompany the report.