Dodge City Community College vs Iowa Lakes Community College: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs. Dodge City Community College runs $1,954 less per year out of state; Dodge City Community College graduates 5 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 Dodge City Community College if…

  • You are an out-of-state recruit and the number on the bill matters: Dodge City Community College lists $1,954 less per year in tuition and housing than Iowa Lakes Community College.
  • You would be in-state: Dodge City Community College is $1,646 cheaper per year on published in-state tuition than Iowa Lakes Community College.
  • Finishing the degree is the priority: Dodge City Community College graduates 5 percentage points more of its students than Iowa Lakes Community College.
  • You are weighing the degree as an investment: Dodge City Community College graduates earn about $2,319 more per year a decade after enrolling.

Lean Iowa Lakes Community College if…

  • On the figures we hold, Iowa Lakes Community College does not lead Dodge City Community College on any measure above. If you are choosing between them, the deciding factors are the ones no table holds: how the staff talks to you, where you would sit on the depth chart, and whether you would want to be there without softball.

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: Dodge City Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDodge City Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
In-state tuition & fees$5,550 Dodge City Community College leads on this measure: lower published in-state tuition$7,196
Out-of-state tuition & fees$5,850 Dodge City Community College leads on this measure: lower published out-of-state tuition$7,644
Room & board$7,850$8,010
Est. in-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$13,400 Dodge City Community College leads on this measure: lower total in-state cost$15,206
Est. out-of-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$13,700 Dodge City Community College leads on this measure: lower total out-of-state cost$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: Dodge City Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDodge City Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
Graduation rate31% Dodge City Community College leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree26%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry$45,427/yr Dodge City Community College leads on this measure: higher median earnings a decade out$43,108/yr
Median debt at graduation$8,800 Dodge City 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.19% Dodge City 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: Dodge City Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDodge City Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.1,7572,024
Where it isDodge City, KSEstherville, 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: Dodge City Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDodge City Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
ConferenceKJCCCICCAC
Head coachMike ViramontezKatie 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: Dodge City Community College compared with Iowa Lakes Community College
MeasureDodge City Community CollegeIowa Lakes Community College
Recruiting questionnaireYes
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.

Dodge City Community College

Find the recruiting questionnaire

We do not hold a verified form link for this program — this opens a search.

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.

Dodge City Community College vs Iowa Lakes Community College: common questions

Is Dodge City Community College or Iowa Lakes Community College cheaper?
On published price, Dodge City Community College is cheaper — about $13,700 a year out of state in tuition and housing, against $15,654 at Iowa Lakes 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, Dodge City Community College or Iowa Lakes Community College?
Dodge City Community College, at 31% against 26% at Iowa Lakes Community College (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Dodge City 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 Dodge City Community College and Iowa Lakes Community College?
Iowa Lakes Community College runs a recruiting questionnaire — submit it first, since questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules. For Dodge City Community College, we do not hold a verified form link, so start from the program page and email the staff directly.

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 Dodge City 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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