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Grain Elevators, SiouxCenter, IA 9-2005 (6917732297)Photo: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Colleges in and near Sioux Center

Sioux Center is a college town: 15 of every 100 residents are students

Dordt University (1,588 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Iowa, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town15% of residents are studentsDordt University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Sioux Center. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
2,684 students on campus
Nearest college
0.5 mi
Dordt University
Residents in college
15%
Above IA (6%)
Nearest community college
16.5 mi
Northwest Iowa · $7,350 tuition
Nearest public university
147.5 mi
Iowa State · $10,787 in-state
Students on campus in Sioux Center
1,588
next to 8,864 residents

What stands out about college in Sioux Center

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town15 of every 100 Sioux Center residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.A university in Sioux CenterDordt University has 1,588 students on campus in Sioux Center, 70% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 16.5 miles awayNorthwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon: tuition and fees $7,350 a year for Iowa residents.In-state price at Iowa StateLiving in Iowa, Iowa State University charges $10,787 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $28,881. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Sioux Center

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

15 of every 100 Sioux Center residents are in college (IA: 6).

1,588students on campus at Dordt University, next to 8,864 residents (dorm students count as residents)
296college students live in Sioux Center households rather than dorms
30.0median age · IA 38.6
54%of residents are women · IA 50% (±2.8 points)
25%of homes rented · IA 28%
Sioux CenterSioux Center, IA
Cost of livingHome prices and rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIA+HealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundAHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Sioux Center’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 2.3% of Sioux Center residents are below the poverty line, 2.1% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 1 points either way). 7% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 15%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Sioux Center’s median age is 30.0 (Iowa 38.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A+

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Sioux Center

Two private colleges within 7.8 miles. The nearest public four-year college, Iowa State University, is 147.5 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miDordt UniversityNorthwestern CollegeSioux Center
University or collegeCommunity college
Dordt UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,588 on campus · In Sioux Center68%admitted$26knet price70%graduate$53kearningsNorthwestern CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,096 on campus · 7.8 mi · Orange City80%admitted$26knet price66%graduate$50kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Sioux Center’s median household income ($92,983) falls.

Iowa State University147.5 mi · Ames · sticker $24,018$19,605a year
Northwestern College7.8 mi · Orange City · sticker $49,783$24,265a year
Dordt UniversityIn Sioux Center · sticker $51,733$25,113a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Dordt UniversityNorthwestern CollegeIowa State
Iowa State University75% graduate$63k earnings$23k typical debt
Dordt University70% graduate$53k earnings$22k typical debt
Northwestern College66% graduate$50k earnings$23k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Sioux Center

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Dordt University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 20%Engineering 13%Agriculture 12%Education 11%Parks & recreation 7%Public administration 6%Everything else 30%

Biggest programs

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods68 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing26 graduates a year
$66k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services17 graduates a year
$75k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering16 graduates a year
$78k4 yrs out
Agricultural Business and Management15 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services11 graduates a year
$78k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Sioux Center

Is Sioux Center a college town?

Yes. 15 of every 100 Sioux Center residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Iowa. Dordt University has 1,588 students on campus, next to 8,864 residents.

What colleges are in Sioux Center?

Dordt University is inside the city. Northwest Iowa Community College is 16.5 miles away in Sheldon.

Why is Sioux Center’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 2.3% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 2.1% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 1 points).

What is the closest community college to Sioux Center, and what does it cost?

Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon, 16.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $7,350 a year for Iowa residents; the federal net price, $14,800, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Dordt University?

Dordt University admitted 68% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,070–1,330 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Sioux Center. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →