Community colleges across Iowa are seeing a rebound in enrollment, returning to pre-pandemic levels, according to the Iowa Department of Education. The 2025 Fall Enrollment Report released in December shows total enrollment at the state’s 15 community colleges increased by 1,937 students over last year, a 2.2% rise to 88,530 students.
Pre-pandemic enrollment in 2019 was 88,375, indicating fall numbers mark a return to historic levels. Barb Klein, Provost at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, tells RadioOnTheGo News the college’s enrollment trends reflect the state’s numbers—and in some areas, the growth is even stronger.
“We’re looking at some solid enrollment growth again. In the fall, you know, we saw about a 7% increase, which was awesome, awesome for our campus and for the programs that we offer. That’s probably a great segue into, I would say that that enrollment growth is always a testament to the good people that you meet on our campus. You know, whether you’re going into the admissions office to talk to someone, to work through financial aid or you’re talking to a faculty person that teaches a class for us. I think you always find that people are more than willing to help out and get students where they want to go.”
Registered credit hours also rose statewide, climbing 2.9 percent from 721,586 in 2024 to 742,230 in 2025. Students enrolled, on average, in 8.4 credit hours last semester.
Klein said the rise in enrollment isn’t solely due to affordability. She noted smaller class sizes, growing interest in trades programs and strong joint enrollment opportunities, which allow high school students to earn college credits while still in school, also contribute to the growth.
“The affordability piece of that certainly makes us as attractive as any other educational option there is. Students can come here, they can have small class sizes. It’s not like they’re in a lecture hall with 300 people. For us, you’re never in a class of typically more than 25 students. So when we talk about the community college growth. I think it’s certainly that piece, but I also think it is more of a surge and more of an interest in the trades programs and getting in, getting a degree and being mindful of indebtedness. So I think it’s a mix of those things. I just think that makes the community college a really attractive option for a lot of people.”
With enrollment and credit hours climbing, Iowa’s community colleges are proving they offer affordable, flexible options that meet the needs of both traditional students and those pursuing career-focused programs.
Full interview below
