Head-to-head comparison
Iowa Western Community College vs Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary: which has better ROI?
Option A Council Bluffs, IA
Iowa Western Community College
- Net price / year
- $14,629
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,793
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Ankeny, IA
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary
- Net price / year
- $16,282
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,650
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Iowa Western Community College comes closer — median earnings $42,793 against a $29,258 total, vs $40,650 at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Iowa Western Community College | Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $14,629 | $16,282 |
| Total net cost | $29,258 | $65,128 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $42,793 | $40,650 |
| Median debt | $11,033 | $12,971 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$140,598 | -$219,328 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Iowa Western Community College or Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary?
Iowa Western Community College, at $14,629 a year after aid versus $16,282 — a gap of $1,653 a year, or $35,870 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 Iowa Western Community College or Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary graduates earn more?
Iowa Western Community College graduates report a median $42,793 ten years after entry, $2,143 more than the $40,650 at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary. 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, Iowa Western Community College or Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary?
Iowa Western Community College: its completers carry a median $11,033 in federal loans versus $12,971 at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary, a difference of $1,938. 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?
68% of students finish at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary, against 40% at Iowa Western 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.