by our College Data Analytics TeamSouthwestern Community College is a public institution in Creston, Iowa enrolling 729 undergraduates. It has an on-time graduation rate of 59%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #1,706 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 33%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Southwestern Community College ranks #1,706 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 33%.
College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities in its annual rankings and ranks them in a variety of ways, including most diverse, best overall quality, best for non-traditional students, and much more.
Southwestern Community College was awarded 32 badges in the 2027 rankings.
According to College Factual’s 2027 analysis, SWCC is ranked #1,706 out of 5,159 schools in the nation that were analyzed for overall quality.
SWCC also holds the #42 spot on the Best Colleges in Iowa ranking.
See all of the rankings for Southwestern Community College.
Learn more about Southwestern Community College admissions.
The student to faculty ratio at Southwestern Community College is about average at 14 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.
In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Southwestern Community College is 42%. This is lower than the national average of 47%.
The freshmen retention rate tells us what percentage of first-year, full-time students choose to continue on to their sophomore year at a particular school. The rate at Southwestern Community College is 68%, which is about average when compared to the national rate of 68%.
Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At SWCC the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 59%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Southwestern Community College.
During the most recent academic year, there were 729 undergraduates at SWCC.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Southwestern Community College.
The overall average net price of SWCC is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $7,137 | $8,440 | $10,118 | $12,444 | $14,449 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of SWCC, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
While almost two-thirds of students nationwide take out loans to pay for college, the percentage may be quite different for the school you plan on attending. At SWCC, approximately 22% of students took out student loans averaging $5,966 a year. That adds up to $23,864 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 17.2%. This is significantly higher than the national default rate of 10.1%, which means you could have trouble paying back your student loans if you take any out. Get more details about paying for Southwestern Community College.
The pay for some majors is higher than others, but on average, students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Southwestern Community College make about $40,129 a year during their first few years of employment after graduation. This is about 18% less than the average pay for college graduates overall. However, graduates with your major may make more.
See which majors at Southwestern Community College make the most money.
Southwestern Community College is a public institution located in Creston, Iowa. Creston is a great place for students who enjoy small town life. Get more details about the location of Southwestern Community College.
Contact information for Southwestern Community College can be found below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1501 West Townline Street, Creston, IA 50801 |
| Phone: | 6417827081 |
| Website: | www.swcciowa.edu |
In the most recent reporting year, students from 16 majors graduated from Southwestern Community College. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 555 | NA |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 94 | $22,559 |
| Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 89 | NA |
| Electrical & Power Installation | 68 | NA |
| Carpentry | 46 | NA |
| Vehicle Maintenance & Repair | 46 | NA |
| Nursing | 33 | $51,369 |
| Precision Metal Working | 33 | NA |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 25 | NA |
| Teaching Assistant/Aide | 24 | NA |
1,020 students took at least one online class at Southwestern Community College.
Online learning options are becoming more and more popular at American colleges and universities. Online classes are great for students who have busy schedules or for those who just want to study on their own time.
Learn more about online learning at Southwestern Community College.
Curious how schools stack up against SWCC? Match them up using College Combat, our free tool for head-to-head college comparisons.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.