Is Ellsworth Community College or Iowa Central Community College cheaper?

Published cost is effectively the same — about $15,312 a year out of state in tuition and housing at both, before any aid. Cost is unlikely to be what decides this one.

Which school graduates more of its students, Ellsworth Community College or Iowa Central Community College?

Iowa Central Community College, at 44% against 43% at Ellsworth Community College (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.

How do I contact the coaches at Ellsworth Community College and Iowa Central 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.

Ellsworth Community College vs Iowa Central Community College: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs in the ICCAC. Ellsworth Community College lists $1,356 less in out-of-state tuition; Iowa Central Community College graduates earn $1,484 more a decade out.

JUCO

Ellsworth Community College

ICCAC

Iowa Falls, IA

JUCO

Iowa Central Community College

ICCAC

Fort Dodge, IA

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 Ellsworth Community College if…

You want to leave with less owed: median debt at Ellsworth Community College is $1,000 lower than at Iowa Central Community College.

Lean Iowa Central Community College if…

You are weighing the degree as an investment: Iowa Central Community College graduates earn about $1,484 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: Ellsworth Community College compared with Iowa Central Community College
Measure	Ellsworth Community College	Iowa Central Community College
In-state tuition & fees	$5,304	$5,376
Out-of-state tuition & fees	$6,312 — Ellsworth Community College leads on this measure: lower published out-of-state tuition	$7,668
Room & board	$9,000	$7,580 — Iowa Central Community College leads on this measure: lower room & board
Est. in-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.	$14,304	$12,956 — Iowa Central Community College leads on this measure: lower total in-state cost
Est. out-of-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.	$15,312	$15,248

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: Ellsworth Community College compared with Iowa Central Community College
Measure	Ellsworth Community College	Iowa Central Community College
Graduation rate	43%	44%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry	$40,562/yr	$42,046/yr — Iowa Central Community College leads on this measure: higher median earnings a decade out
Median debt at graduation	$10,000 — Ellsworth Community College leads on this measure: less debt carried out the door	$11,000
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.	25% — Ellsworth Community College leads on this measure: debt is a smaller share of what graduates earn	26%

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: Ellsworth Community College compared with Iowa Central Community College
Measure	Ellsworth Community College	Iowa Central Community College
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.	685	4,909
Where it is	Iowa Falls, IA	Fort Dodge, 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: Ellsworth Community College compared with Iowa Central Community College
Measure	Ellsworth Community College	Iowa Central Community College
Head coach	Nate Forsyth	Bo Tjebben

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: Ellsworth Community College compared with Iowa Central Community College
Measure	Ellsworth Community College	Iowa Central Community College
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.

Ellsworth 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 Central 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.

Ellsworth Community College vs Iowa Central Community College: common questions

Is Ellsworth Community College or Iowa Central Community College cheaper?: Published cost is effectively the same — about $15,312 a year out of state in tuition and housing at both, before any aid. Cost is unlikely to be what decides this one.
Which school graduates more of its students, Ellsworth Community College or Iowa Central Community College?: Iowa Central Community College, at 44% against 43% at Ellsworth Community College (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Ellsworth Community College and Iowa Central 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 Ellsworth Community College and Iowa Central 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 Ellsworth Community College and Iowa Central Community College accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

Still deciding between them?

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