Is Cowley or Lake Region State cheaper?

On published price, Cowley is cheaper — about $12,250 a year out of state in tuition and housing, against $14,627 at Lake Region State. That is sticker price; athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off it, so ask both coaches what an actual offer would look like.

Which school graduates more of its students, Cowley or Lake Region State?

Lake Region State, at 51% against 47% at Cowley (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.

How do I contact the coaches at Cowley and Lake Region State?

Both programs run a recruiting questionnaire, and that is the right first move — it is exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit it at any age. Fill out both, then follow with an email to each staff.

Cowley vs Lake Region State: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs. Cowley runs $2,377 less per year out of state; Lake Region State graduates 4 points more of its students.

JUCO

Cowley

KJCCC

Arkansas City, KS

JUCO

Lake Region State

Region 13

Devils Lake, ND

Which one is right for you?

Neither school is better in the abstract — they are better for different athletes. These are the differences big enough to actually decide on.

Lean Cowley if…

You are an out-of-state recruit and the number on the bill matters: Cowley lists $2,377 less per year in tuition and housing than Lake Region State.
You would be in-state: Cowley is $828 cheaper per year on published in-state tuition than Lake Region State.

Lean Lake Region State if…

Finishing the degree is the priority: Lake Region State graduates 4 percentage points more of its students than Cowley.

What it costs to go there

Published sticker price from IPEDS. Almost nobody pays it — athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off the top — but the gap between two schools is a fair read on the gap between two offers.

What it costs to go there: Cowley compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Cowley	Lake Region State
In-state tuition & fees	$4,650 — Cowley leads on this measure: lower published in-state tuition	$5,478
Out-of-state tuition & fees	$6,150	$5,478 — Lake Region State leads on this measure: lower published out-of-state tuition
Room & board	$6,100 — Cowley leads on this measure: lower room & board	$9,149
Est. in-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.	$10,750 — Cowley leads on this measure: lower total in-state cost	$14,627
Est. out-of-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.	$12,250 — Cowley leads on this measure: lower total out-of-state cost	$14,627

What you leave with

Federal College Scorecard figures for all students at the institution, not softball players specifically. Read them as a signal about the degree, not about the program.

What you leave with: Cowley compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Cowley	Lake Region State
Graduation rate	47%	51% — Lake Region State leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree
Median earnings, 10 years after entry	—	$49,502/yr
Median debt at graduation	—	$10,293
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.	—	21%

Getting in, and what you'd walk into

Admissions and size. A coach can support your file, but at most schools they cannot admit you — the academic profile below is the bar you still have to clear.

Getting in, and what you'd walk into: Cowley compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Cowley	Lake Region State
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.	2,158	1,810
Where it is	Arkansas City, KS	Devils Lake, ND

The softball program itself

Division and conference set the ceiling; the postseason record and staff tell you what the program has actually done with it.

The softball program itself: Cowley compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Cowley	Lake Region State
Conference	KJCCC	Region 13
Head coach	Jenny Hoyt	Kory Boehmer

How you actually get in front of them

Camps and questionnaires are the two channels a recruit controls. Where a program runs its own camp, that camp is usually the shortest path to being evaluated by the staff that would recruit you.

How you actually get in front of them: Cowley compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Cowley	Lake Region State
Recruiting questionnaire	Yes	Yes

Scholarship money, honestly

Both programs sit at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges), so the scholarship rules are identical: varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.

How JUCO softball scholarships actually work →

What to do about it this week

Questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit one at any age. Do both, then follow with a short email to each staff.

Cowley

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Lake Region State

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Cowley vs Lake Region State: common questions

Is Cowley or Lake Region State cheaper?: On published price, Cowley is cheaper — about $12,250 a year out of state in tuition and housing, against $14,627 at Lake Region State. That is sticker price; athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off it, so ask both coaches what an actual offer would look like.
Which school graduates more of its students, Cowley or Lake Region State?: Lake Region State, at 51% against 47% at Cowley (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Cowley and Lake Region State offer softball scholarships?: Both play at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges): varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.
How do I contact the coaches at Cowley and Lake Region State?: Both programs run a recruiting questionnaire, and that is the right first move — it is exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit it at any age. Fill out both, then follow with an email to each staff.

Cost, graduation and enrollment figures from IPEDS (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2023-24). Earnings, debt and admission rates from the federal College Scorecard. Postseason results from the NCAA Division I softball tournament records, 2021-2026. Rankings from NCAA.com and U.S. News & World Report. Figures describe the institution, not the softball roster.

We work hard to keep all data for Cowley and Lake Region State accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

Still deciding between them?

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