Des Moines Area Community College
A good fit for families looking for lower cost and in-state Iowa residents. graduation rate is below 40%. a public school with 10,446 students.
About This School
Des Moines Area Community College is a public institution located in Ankeny, Iowa with approximately 10,446 undergraduate students enrolled. The average net price after financial aid is $11,171 per year. The graduation rate is 37%, and the typical graduate earns $36,800 within 10 years of enrollment.
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) is a public community college in central Iowa. The college served 34,206 credit students and 21,164 noncredit students in 2024.
This is a strong option for Iowa students who want to keep costs down — median debt at graduation is just $6,500, which is remarkably low and leaves graduates with real financial flexibility. The trade-off is that median earnings 10 years out land at $36,800, so it's worth being clear-eyed about career path and whether you plan to transfer to a four-year school to increase your long-term earning potential. Worth considering if you're looking for an affordable starting point or a focused two-year credential, less so if you're expecting a direct path to a high-salary career.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 20% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Des Moines Area Community College graduates earn most above the national rate in Precision Metal Working ($75,145 vs $56,451 nationally), and most below it in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($68,315 vs $80,813).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 934 | $45,505 | $44,125 | +$1,380 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 162 | $68,315 | $80,813 | −$12,498 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 94 | $60,716 | $48,733 | +$11,983 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 78 | $63,673 | $58,424 | +$5,249 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 58 | $50,877 | $46,706 | +$4,171 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | 45 | $55,546 | $47,825 | +$7,721 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 37 | $62,072 | $47,660 | +$14,412 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 33 | $36,996 | $38,127 | −$1,131 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | 32 | $40,878 | $39,605 | +$1,273 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 21 | $62,269 | $61,982 | +$287 |
| Precision Metal Working | 20 | $75,145 | $56,451 | +$18,694 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 18 | $49,886 | $44,066 | +$5,820 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing an associate's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Strong return. Graduates earn well above their debt load.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (10,446 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Des Moines Area Community College is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Des Moines Area Community College cost?
The average net price at Des Moines Area Community College is about $11,171 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Des Moines Area Community College?
Des Moines Area Community College has a graduation rate of 37%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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