Indian Hills Community College vs Marshalltown Community College: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs in the ICCAC. Marshalltown Community College lists $312 less in out-of-state tuition; Indian Hills Community College graduates 3 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 Indian Hills Community College if…

  • You would be in-state: Indian Hills Community College is $432 cheaper per year on published in-state tuition than Marshalltown Community College.
  • Finishing the degree is the priority: Indian Hills Community College graduates 3 percentage points more of its students than Marshalltown Community College.

Lean Marshalltown Community College if…

  • You want to leave with less owed: median debt at Marshalltown Community College is $1,000 lower than at Indian Hills 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: Indian Hills Community College compared with Marshalltown Community College
MeasureIndian Hills Community CollegeMarshalltown Community College
In-state tuition & fees$4,872 Indian Hills Community College leads on this measure: lower published in-state tuition$5,304
Out-of-state tuition & fees$6,120$5,808 Marshalltown Community College leads on this measure: lower published out-of-state tuition
Room & board$7,608$7,750
Est. in-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$12,480 Indian Hills Community College leads on this measure: lower total in-state cost$13,054
Est. out-of-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.$13,728$13,558

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: Indian Hills Community College compared with Marshalltown Community College
MeasureIndian Hills Community CollegeMarshalltown Community College
Graduation rate40% Indian Hills Community College leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree37%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry$40,507/yr$41,010/yr
Median debt at graduation$10,500$9,500 Marshalltown Community College leads on this measure: less debt carried out the door
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.26%23% Marshalltown Community College leads on this measure: debt is a smaller share of what graduates earn

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: Indian Hills Community College compared with Marshalltown Community College
MeasureIndian Hills Community CollegeMarshalltown Community College
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.3,2361,870
Where it isOttumwa, IAMarshalltown, 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: Indian Hills Community College compared with Marshalltown Community College
MeasureIndian Hills Community CollegeMarshalltown Community College
Head coachGretta HartzDave Hartman

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: Indian Hills Community College compared with Marshalltown Community College
MeasureIndian Hills Community CollegeMarshalltown Community College
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. Do both, then follow with a short email to each staff.

Indian Hills 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.

Marshalltown 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.

Indian Hills Community College vs Marshalltown Community College: common questions

Is Indian Hills Community College or Marshalltown Community College cheaper?
Published cost is effectively the same — about $13,728 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, Indian Hills Community College or Marshalltown Community College?
Indian Hills Community College, at 40% against 37% at Marshalltown Community College (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Indian Hills Community College and Marshalltown 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 Indian Hills Community College and Marshalltown 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 Indian Hills Community College and Marshalltown Community College accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

Still deciding between them?

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