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As legislators this week continue their consideration of a slate of bills aimed at reshaping higher education in Iowa — taking aim at diversity, equity and inclusion programming, course offerings and accrediting agencies — one lawmaker Wednesday called on Iowa’s community colleges to consider offering bachelor’s degrees.
Iowa’s 15 community colleges — under Iowa Code — offer two-year programs leading to associate degrees, along with technical and vocational programming offering certificates, in-service workforce education and career training for high school students, among other things.
Iowa’s public and private colleges and universities — on the other hand — offer four-year bachelor’s degrees and, in some cases, master’s and doctorate degrees.
“There is unmet demand for baccalaureate education in specific disciplines, especially in rural Iowa and industries not adequately served by Iowa’s public and private four-year institutions,” Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, wrote Wednesday to the state’s community college presidents and trustees.
“Iowa’s community colleges are uniquely positioned to address gaps in workforce training and education by potentially offering baccalaureate degrees in select high-demand fields.”
Collins, who chairs the Iowa House’s new Higher Education Committee, in his letter called on the community colleges to conduct a “comprehensive study on the feasibility of establishing baccalaureate degree programs at Iowa’s community colleges.”
The study, according to Collins, should at a minimum:
- Identify unmet workforce needs and academic disciplines that community colleges could help address through new baccalaureate programs;
- Analyze community colleges’ capacity and resources to support such programming — including faculty, facilities and accreditation requirements;
- Explore funding models for the added programming — including state appropriations, tuition and other potential sources;
- Review best practices and outcomes from other states that allow community colleges to confer bachelor’s degrees;
- Assess the potential impact on underserved students, including those who are place-bound or who live in rural Iowa;
- Evaluate possible tuition costs, financial aid options and affordability for students;
- And consider workforce outcomes, including job placement rates, employer satisfaction and the regional economic impact.
Collins, in his letter, asked the community college presidents to submit an “interim report” to the committee by May 31 — including potential baccalaureate degree models.
He requested a final report — including recommendations — come to the committee by Oct. 31 “for the consideration of the committee before the beginning of the 2026 legislative session.”
That report, according to Collins, should include the following:
- A detailed feasibility assessment of offering bachelor degrees across Iowa’s community colleges;
- Scope and structure recommendations;
- A cost-benefit analysis — including funding needs and potential economic returns;
- And any legislative and regulatory changes Iowa would need to make to implement community college-based baccalaureate programs.
“Iowa’s community colleges have been an incredible partner in addressing the emerging workforce needs of the state, while controlling costs and delivering an affordable product to Iowa students,” Collins wrote. “Evaluating the feasibility and impact of Iowa’s community colleges’ ability to offer baccalaureate degree programs will provide the Higher Education Committee the information it needs to thoroughly evaluate such an idea, and determine this potential role for Iowa’s community colleges.”
‘No more than an associate degree’
Under Iowa Code, community colleges are defined as a “publicly supported school which may offer programs of adult and continuing education, lifelong learning, community education, and up to two years of liberal arts, preprofessional, or occupational instruction, partially fulfilling the requirements for a baccalaureate degree but confers no more than an associate degree.”
But 24 states now have authorized community college baccalaureate degree programs, according to a 2024 report from the Community College Baccalaureate Association. West Virginia was first in 1989, and the number stayed in the single digits into the 2000s. Since that time, a dozen more states have approved community college bachelor’s degrees — including California, Colorado and Ohio.
Among the earlier adopters was Florida, which today offers bachelor’s degrees at all 28 of its community colleges, and Washington, with 33 or 34 of its community colleges conferring bachelor’s degrees, according to the report.
In total, 187 community colleges nationally offer baccalaureate programs. Iowa and most of its surrounding states — except Missouri — are among the half of the United States not offering bachelor’s degrees at their community colleges.
Representatives from states not conferring community college bachelor’s degrees told researchers, per the report, they wanted to maintain “good working relationships with instate universities and worr(ied) (community college baccalaureate programs) may disrupt plans to improve transfer.”
Another state noted community colleges were awarding fewer associates degrees in the wake of COVID-19, reducing interest in adding bachelor’s degrees until their enrollment recovers.
In Iowa, total community college enrollment in fall 2024 increased 1.4 percent collectively to 86,582 students — although that remains well below the peak of 106,596 in fall 2010. And the percentage of total students who are enrolled full time is continuing to drop — from 82 percent in 1973 to 33 percent in 2024, when 67 percent were enrolled part-time.
In recent years, Iowa’s community colleges and public and private colleges and universities have been increasing their collaboration to make it easier for students to transfer and earn four-year degrees.
Tuition — like at Iowa’s public universities — has continued to rise across the community colleges.
The average cost for instate students, including fees, per credit hour bumped up from $194 in the 2021 budget year to $219 in the current year — a 13 percent increase. During the same period, the average cost of instate enrollment at Iowa’s public universities increased 15 percent to $445 per credit hour.
Iowa Code requires community college tuition for instate students to remain below that charged by the public universities.
Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.
Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com