Southwestern Community College
Creston, Iowa
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 2 years.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
17% gap between the two groups
17% gap between the two groups
9% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $7,137 |
| $30k–$48k | $8,440 |
| $48k–$75k | $10,118 |
| $75k–$110k | $12,444 |
| $110k+ | $14,449 |
How Southwestern Community College compares
This college against the Iowa and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of Southwestern Community College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at Southwestern Community College
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Certificate | $60,531 | $12,676 | +972% | Strong return |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Certificate | $50,238 | $9,500 | +293% | Strong return |
| Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $41,886 | — | -416% | Poor return |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Certificate | $38,224 | $9,913 | -603% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at Southwestern Community College
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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