(Radio Iowa) – 2026 is the 60th anniversary of the creation of Iowa’s community college system. Local Iowa school boards started creating junior colleges and vocational schools in the early 1900s. Northwest Iowa Community College president John Hartog says the roots of his college date back to 1964.
“Some of the area high schools got together and in order to keep learning opportunities local they started a pre-college, if you will, a school,” Hartog said. Forty-nine students enrolled that first year, taking classes in vocations like auto mechanics and welding in rented spaces in downtown Sheldon. Two years later the state authorized the 15 area community colleges. Hartog says Northwest Iowa Community College rapidly expanded its course offerings. The system crossed a milestone last fall.
“We had 2009 students,” Hartog says. “It was the first time that we started the school year with over 2000 students.” The Northwest Iowa Community College campus is about a mile west of Sheldon. It offers over 50 programs prepare students for work in industries like manufacturing, construction and health care. Hartog says the goal is to help students get the degree or certificate they need to land a job.
“Students come to us with that goal,” Hartog says. “We want to deliver on that promise.” Enrollment at Northwest Iowa Community College is about the same as enrollment at Iowa Lakes Community College and Marshalltown Community College. The average enrollment at an Iowa community college is around 32-hundred students. Des Moines Area Community College has the largest enrollment, with over 34-thousand students. Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids has 17-thousand.
