Des Moines Area Community College vs Milwaukee Area Technical College: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs. Milwaukee Area Technical College runs $3,422 less per year out of state; Des Moines Area Community College graduates 9 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 Des Moines Area Community College if…

  • Finishing the degree is the priority: Des Moines Area Community College graduates 9 percentage points more of its students than Milwaukee Area Technical College.
  • You want to leave with less owed: median debt at Des Moines Area Community College is $3,955 lower than at Milwaukee Area Technical College.
  • You need an evaluation this summer: we track 5 camps at Des Moines Area Community College against none listed at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Lean Milwaukee Area Technical College if…

  • You are an out-of-state recruit and the number on the bill matters: Milwaukee Area Technical College lists $3,422 less per year in tuition and housing than Des Moines Area Community College.
  • You would be in-state: Milwaukee Area Technical College is $533 cheaper per year on published in-state tuition than Des Moines Area Community College.

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: Des Moines Area Community College compared with Milwaukee Area Technical College
MeasureDes Moines Area Community CollegeMilwaukee Area Technical College
In-state tuition & fees$5,550$5,017 — Milwaukee Area Technical College leads on this measure: lower published in-state tuition
Out-of-state tuition & fees$11,100$7,210 — Milwaukee Area Technical College leads on this measure: lower published out-of-state tuition
Room & board$8,190 — Des Moines Area Community College leads on this measure: lower room & board$8,658
Est. in-state year, all in$13,740$13,675
Est. out-of-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$19,290$15,868 — Milwaukee Area Technical College leads on this measure: lower total out-of-state cost

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: Des Moines Area Community College compared with Milwaukee Area Technical College
MeasureDes Moines Area Community CollegeMilwaukee Area Technical College
Graduation rate34% — Des Moines Area Community College leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree25%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry$41,018/yr$41,113/yr
Median debt at graduation$11,000 — Des Moines Area Community College leads on this measure: less debt carried out the door$14,955
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.27% — Des Moines Area Community College leads on this measure: debt is a smaller share of what graduates earn36%

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: Des Moines Area Community College compared with Milwaukee Area Technical College
MeasureDes Moines Area Community CollegeMilwaukee Area Technical College
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.24,41813,190
Where it isAnkeny, IAMilwaukee, WI

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: Des Moines Area Community College compared with Milwaukee Area Technical College
MeasureDes Moines Area Community CollegeMilwaukee Area Technical College
ConferenceICCACRegion 4
Head coachBob LigouriJoe Kuntner

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: Des Moines Area Community College compared with Milwaukee Area Technical College
MeasureDes Moines Area Community CollegeMilwaukee Area Technical College
Camps we track5 listed (5 with dates)—
Recruiting questionnaireYesYes

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. A program's own camp is where its staff does most of its evaluating — submit the questionnaire first so they know to look for you.

Des Moines Area Community College

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

All 5 Des Moines Area Community College camps →

Milwaukee Area Technical 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.

Des Moines Area Community College vs Milwaukee Area Technical College: common questions

Is Des Moines Area Community College or Milwaukee Area Technical College cheaper?
On published price, Milwaukee Area Technical College is cheaper — about $15,868 a year out of state in tuition and housing, against $19,290 at Des Moines Area Community College. 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, Des Moines Area Community College or Milwaukee Area Technical College?
Des Moines Area Community College, at 34% against 25% at Milwaukee Area Technical College (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Des Moines Area Community College and Milwaukee Area Technical 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.
Do Des Moines Area Community College and Milwaukee Area Technical College run softball camps?
We track 5 camps at Des Moines Area Community College and none currently listed at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Camp listings change through the year — check the program's own site before ruling it out.
How do I contact the coaches at Des Moines Area Community College and Milwaukee Area Technical 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, 2023-2024). 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 Des Moines Area Community College and Milwaukee Area Technical College accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

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