As reported late last week on KCCI-TV Des Moines, Southwestern Community College (SWCC) is ranked as the top Iowa community college in the Best Community Colleges – 2025 Study, by SmartAsset.
In the study, SmartAsset evaluated colleges based on tuition and fees, student-to-faculty ratio, and retention rates for a holistic assessment of the student experience.
The top five Iowa community colleges finished in the following order:
- Southwestern Community College, Creston
- Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux City
- Southeastern Community College, Burlington
- Northwest Iowa Community College, Sheldon
- Hawkeye Community College, Waterloo
Lindsay Stoaks, SWCC president, said a lot of work has gone into this remarkable accomplishment.
“For many years, Southwestern has maintained a clear focus on student success,” said Stoaks. “This recent recognition reflects the unwavering dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff each day.”
The study ranks SWCC at number 80 overall of 585 eligible community colleges in the United States. The report states, “Community college can be the pathway to creating more lifelong income, with associate degree holders earning 14 percent more – or $6,496 more per year – than those with a high school education.”
The number one community college in the United States was Beaufort County Community College in Washington, North Carolina. The study looked at all two-year schools offering associate degrees with at least 500 full-time enrollees and is available at https://smartasset.com/data-studies/best-community-colleges-2025.