Danville Area Community College vs Iowa Lakes Community College: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs. Iowa Lakes Community College lists $1,556 less in out-of-state tuition; Danville Area Community College graduates 12 points more of its students.

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 Danville Area Community College if…

  • Finishing the degree is the priority: Danville Area Community College graduates 12 percentage points more of its students than Iowa Lakes Community College.
  • You want to leave with less owed: median debt at Danville Area Community College is $4,782 lower than at Iowa Lakes Community College.

Lean Iowa Lakes Community College if…

  • You would be in-state: Iowa Lakes Community College is $2,004 cheaper per year on published in-state tuition than Danville Area Community College.
  • You are weighing the degree as an investment: Iowa Lakes Community College graduates earn about $8,241 more per year a decade after enrolling.

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: Danville Area Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDanville Area Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
In-state tuition & fees$9,200$7,196 Iowa Lakes Community College leads on this measure: lower published in-state tuition
Out-of-state tuition & fees$9,200$7,644 Iowa Lakes Community College leads on this measure: lower published out-of-state tuition
Room & board$8,010
Est. in-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$15,206
Est. out-of-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$15,654

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: Danville Area Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDanville Area Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
Graduation rate38% Danville Area Community College leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree26%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry$34,867/yr$43,108/yr Iowa Lakes Community College leads on this measure: higher median earnings a decade out
Median debt at graduation$7,218 Danville Area Community College leads on this measure: less debt carried out the door$12,000
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.21% Danville Area Community College leads on this measure: debt is a smaller share of what graduates earn28%

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: Danville Area Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDanville Area Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.2,1492,024
Where it isDanville, ILEstherville, IA

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: Danville Area Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDanville Area Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
ConferenceRegion 24ICCAC
Head coachMatt CervantesKatie King

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: Danville Area Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDanville Area Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
Recruiting questionnaireYesYes
Program on X / InstagramYes

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.

Danville Area Community College

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.

Iowa Lakes Community College

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.

Danville Area Community College vs Iowa Lakes Community College: common questions

Which school graduates more of its students, Danville Area Community College or Iowa Lakes Community College?
Danville Area Community College, at 38% against 26% at Iowa Lakes Community College (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Danville Area Community College and Iowa Lakes Community College 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 Danville Area Community College and Iowa Lakes Community College?
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 Danville Area Community College and Iowa Lakes Community College accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

Still deciding between them?

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