Head-to-head comparison
Eastern Iowa Community College District vs Hawkeye Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Davenport, IA
Eastern Iowa Community College District
- Net price / year
- $14,017
- Earnings, 10 years
- $39,060
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Waterloo, IA
Hawkeye Community College
- Net price / year
- $9,649
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,849
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Hawkeye Community College comes closer — median earnings $42,849 against a $19,298 total, vs $39,060 at Eastern Iowa Community College District. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Eastern Iowa Community College District | Hawkeye Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $14,017 | $9,649 |
| Total net cost | $56,068 | $19,298 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $39,060 | $42,849 |
| Median debt | $12,739 | $12,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$242,068 | -$129,518 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Eastern Iowa Community College District or Hawkeye Community College?
Hawkeye Community College, at $9,649 a year after aid versus $14,017 — a gap of $4,368 a year, or $36,770 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Eastern Iowa Community College District or Hawkeye Community College graduates earn more?
Hawkeye Community College graduates report a median $42,849 ten years after entry, $3,789 more than the $39,060 at Eastern Iowa Community College District. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, Eastern Iowa Community College District or Hawkeye Community College?
Hawkeye Community College: its completers carry a median $12,000 in federal loans versus $12,739 at Eastern Iowa Community College District, a difference of $739. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
45% of students finish at Eastern Iowa Community College District, against 43% at Hawkeye Community College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.