North Iowa Area Community College is a progressive, comprehensive learning institution positioned to serve as the major cultural, educational, and economic development force for the North Iowa region. 2008 will mark the 90th anniversary of the College, which began in 1918 as Mason City Junior College (the first public two-year college in Iowa) and became North Iowa Area Community College in 1966.
Over 3,200 students are enrolled in classes for college credit
50% are full-time
95% are Iowans (80% North Iowans)
54% are women
58% are enrolled in Transfer (Arts & Science) Programs
42% are enrolled in Career (Vocational) Programs
22.8 is the average age
54% are teenagers; 75% of students are under the age 22; 25% of students are over the age of 23
The student-faculty ratio is 13:1, and classes average 20-30 students
25-35% of area high school graduates enroll at NIACC the following fall. Within five years, 60% of them attend NIACC.
4% are minorities (including African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans and American Indians)
25+ clubs and organizations contribute to a complete college experience
Approximately 250+ students are involved in intercollegiate athletics (volleyball, football, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, wrestling, men's and women's track, men's and women's cross country and men’s and women’s golf).
Approximately 400 students live on campus in our lakeside student housing facilities, including residence halls and apartments.
Enrollment in NIACC’s online classes has jumped to over 2700.
1,000+ area high school students a year get a head start on their college education and careers through partnerships with NIACC.
80% of students receive financial assistance
(includes $7.3 million a year in grants/loans and over $760,000 a year in scholarships)
The average loan balance at graduation for students who borrow is $5,890, which is below the borrowing limit set by federal government.
Of first-time, full-time degree-seeking students: over 90% complete their 1st semester, 77% complete their 2nd semester, 57% complete their 3rd semester, 51% complete their 4th semester, 42% graduate within 3 years, and another 20% transfer prior to graduation.
The Class of 2007 represents 3 countries, 10 states and 96 communities across Iowa.
NIACC awarded approximately 680 degrees and diplomas to around 600 students during the last school year.
99% of students completing career programs in 2007 are employed:
Over 50 formal articulation agreements with 4-year colleges and universities ensure a smooth transfer process. Nearly all of NIACC’s career/vocational programs are also transferable.
Over 700 former NIACC students are currently completing their bachelor’s degrees at the three state universities.
When comparing GPAs, NIACC transfer students outperform other Iowa Community College transfer students and perform nearly as well as students who begin at UNI. When comparing graduation rates, NIACC and other Iowa Community College transfer students actually beat native students at UNI and ISU. (While NIACC graduates transfer to schools in Iowa, Minnesota, and across the country, the majority of NIACC transfer students complete their education at the University of Northern Iowa.)
26,000+ people have graduated from NIACC (or predecessor Mason City Junior College) since the College was established 90 years ago.
Approximately 91% of NIACC graduates live in Iowa.
The following areas were above the national average for student satisfaction of community colleges:
54 students from the Class of 2007 graduated with honors and awards
56 student athletes earned Academic All-Region honors last year; 5 were named Academic All-American.
Over 400 students have been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa international honor society in the past 10 years.
Nearly 150 high school valedictorians/salutatorians have attended NIACC in the past 10 years.
98 students have been involved in the Honors Program since its inception.
$323,123 was given in scholarships through NIACC Foundation in 2007.
160+ graduates have earned straight As qualifying them for membership in the NIACC Hall of Fame.
600+ students have been honored over the past 18 years through the NIACC Alumni Association’s Pathways to Success program.
Tuition & Fees (FY08):
| tuition | tuition & fees | average tuition & fees | ||
| per credit hour | per credit hour | per semester | per year | |
| Resident | $99.85 | $112.12 | $$1,681 | $3,362 |
| Non-Resident | $149.78 | $162.05 | $2,430.75 | $4,861.50 |
Room & Board: $2,140 per semester; (includes 19-meal plan)
NIACC’s current tax rate, at 60 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, is among the lowest of Iowa’s 15 Community Colleges. (The range is $.60 to $1.82)
Over a thousand NIACC friends contributed to the College’s first major gifts campaign, which raised over $5 million for student scholarships, new advanced technology programs, the entrepreneurial center, endowment fund, and instructional equipment. Private gifts through the NIACC Foundation help to bridge the gap between what public funds support and what quality education and training demand.
NIACC operates one of the few Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers in Iowa, which spurs economic growth by providing programs, services and resources for aspiring and existing business owners.
244+ new business starts
655+ new jobs created
30% of new business starts in Iowa created locally
8,900+ entrepreneurship program participants
Over 6,000 classes are offered yearly.
74,000 enrollments are recorded across the district.
24.5% of local residents registered for one or more continuing education classes during the year.
Satisfaction (based on 10 years of data):
- 96.9% found their class(es) to be "critical to their educational needs" and "well worth the time and money invested"
- 98% said the "instructional content would be applied" or "the course improved their practical understanding of the subject"
- 97.7% gave the course(s) an "excellent" rating or considered it "very beneficial"
- 95.3% of employers are satisfied overall with contract training through NIACC
$12,660,000 in training through the Iowa New Jobs Training (260E) Program has helped to create 2,441 new jobs at 45 North Iowa companies since 2000.
3,753 employees at 116 North Iowa companies have been involved in training within the last 5 years through the Iowa Jobs Training (260F) Program.
The Regional Health Education Center, a partnership with Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, provides extensive educational opportunities to health care professionals and the general public.
NIACC is a lead partner in the local Workforce Development Center, which is the designated showcase center for Iowa.
Community education centers are located in Charles City, Osage, Hampton, Garner, Lake Mills and Forest City.
Nearly 3,000 North Iowans participate in adult basic education programs annually.
Up to 100 people earn their GED from NIACC every year.
Representing 62 communities across the region, people age 55 and better have produced 5,517 enrollments in 923 NIACC NOW classes since the program began in 1998 to present.
NIACC enriches our lives through educational and cultural opportunities. The NIACC Performing Arts & Leadership Series, for instance, offers an exciting lineup each year at the North Iowa Community Auditorium from Broadway musicals and children’s productions to hot new artists and Nobel Peace Prize winners. North Iowa has been graced by the presence of many outstanding guests including Dave Barry, Barbara Bush, Jeff Corwin, Simon Estes, Marvin Hamlisch, Lou Holtz, President F.W. de Klerk, Lorie Line, Rebecca Lobo, James Lovell, Melissa Manchester, Tom Osborne, Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Lou Rawls, Lyn St. James, President Lech Walesa, and more!
239 full-time employees, including 84 faculty.
NIACC faculty credentials:
- 67% have master’s degrees; 8% have doctorate degrees
- veteran faculty have up to 41 years teaching experience
- full-time faculty instruct 76% of the courses
- An additional 1,000+ people across the region help provide the programs and services available from the College.
The North Iowa Area Community College service area (Area Two) encompasses all of Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Mitchell, Winnebago and Worth counties and parts of Butler, Chickasaw, Kossuth and Wright counties.
3,621 square miles
$4,855,751,829 assessed valuation
141,475 citizens among 66,064 households
North Iowa Area Community College has been accredited since 1919 by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.
College programs earning discipline-specific accreditations include Associate Degree Nursing, Automotive Service Technology, Emergency Medical Technician (Basic through Paramedic), Mechanical Design Technology, Medical Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Practical Nursing.
The College is governed by a locally-elected, nine-member board of directors:
500-acre countryside campus
state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories
1150-seat performance auditorium
150-seat classroom auditorium
3600 sq. ft. conference center
multi-purpose seminar rooms
contemporary student activity center
Writer’s Workbench
library with complete services and resources
518 computers available for student use throughout campus and student housing with wireless network presence in all buildings
networked faculty and staff offices and work stations
3 Iowa Communications Network (ICN) classrooms
advanced manufacturing technology center
athletic facilities - gymnasium, soccer fields, softball/baseball/football practice fields, and a new recreation center
fitness center
residence halls and student apartments
OK House
free parking
The 15 Community Colleges of Iowa enroll 77,355 Iowans, compared to 48,586 for the 3 public universities, and 34,311 for the private colleges/universities in our state. (Fall 2005)
Including non-credit students, more than 400,000 Iowans are served annually by the Community Colleges of Iowa.
89% of Community College alumni live and work in Iowa after they graduate.
The mission of the North Iowa Area Community College is to enhance the quality of life for people of North Iowa through comprehensive educational opportunities, progressive partnerships, exemplary service, and responsive leadership.
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North Iowa Area Community College, 500
College Drive, Mason City, IA 50401
641-423-1264 or 1-888-GO NIACC
www.niacc.edu