Public
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Waterloo, Iowa
Hawkeye Community College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
$15,065Annual Cost
$42,849Grad Salary
21.9%Pell Grant
Selectivity
Open Enrollment
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
-40–30
Avg Net Price
$10,298
Need-Based Aid
21.9% receive Pell
Hawkeye Community College, established in 1966, is a public community college in Waterloo, Iowa. It offers programs in agribusiness, nursing, and renewable energy. The campus features a wind turbine training site and a veterinary clinic.
HCC is unranked but vital to Iowa's agricultural and industrial economy. Its partnerships with John Deere and local hospitals ensure strong job placement.
Hawkeye Community College Acceptance Rate
Hawkeye Community College runs an open-access admission policy — with a 100% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in — worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Open Enrollment
Selectivity scale: Open Enrollment — rate not reported
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Slightly below-average GPA? A strong test score or clear leadership track record can still keep you competitive.
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Hawkeye Community College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Hawkeye Community College follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline.
Key Admission Dates
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
Hawkeye Community College reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
💡 The scholarship deadline (Foundation scholarship priority: 2027/03/01) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Check Your Admission Chances at Hawkeye Community College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Hawkeye Community College's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
⚠️ Note: Predicting based on regional averages as this institution does not publicly report full score datasets.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Hawkeye Community College Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Hawkeye Community College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Hawkeye Community College Without SAT or ACT?
Hawkeye Community College's test-score policy isn't published. As a default, submit your score only if it's at or above the state/national average — a below-average score can work against you.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Hawkeye Community College
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Getting into Hawkeye Community College is the easy part — what matters next is using placement testing, advising, and available resources to set up a strong first year.
Apply to the College First, the Nursing Program Second - They Are Two Separate Gates
Hawkeye has open general admission (apply anytime, no essay, no fee), but its Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and Practical Nursing programs are competitive-entry within that open campus: prerequisite science and English courses (Anatomy & Physiology I & II, Composition I, Nurse Aide certification) must be completed and graded before a student can even apply to the nursing cohort itself. Students planning to enter nursing straight from high school should be advised to enroll as a general/pre-nursing student first, front-load the four listed prerequisite courses in year one, and treat nursing-program application as a distinct, later step - not something bundled into initial college enrollment.
Use the $21 Million Health Sciences Building as Leverage for Clinical-Placement Questions in Advising, Not Essays
Hawkeye built a new state-of-the-art health sciences facility specifically for its nursing pipeline, and the program advertises free tuition for eligible nursing students (state/regional workforce funding). Because Hawkeye's nursing program is genuinely resource-heavy relative to its size, applicants should use their admissions/advising meeting (not a formal essay, since HCC doesn't require one) to ask specifically about clinical site placement guarantees and cohort start dates - cohort seats are limited even though general admission isn't, and asking this early signals seriousness to advisors who influence prerequisite-course sequencing.
Exploit the 11-School Transfer Agreement Network Instead of Applying Directly to a Four-Year School
Hawkeye holds direct transfer agreements with eleven four-year institutions, including the University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa - for example, the University of Iowa College of Nursing has a formal HCC-to-Iowa RN-to-BSN plan of study with mapped course equivalencies. A student aiming for a four-year nursing or health degree but worried about competitive freshman admission elsewhere should be counseled to start at Hawkeye specifically because the transfer pathway is pre-negotiated course-by-course, not a generic articulation promise - this converts an uncertain direct-admit gamble into a near-guaranteed stepwise path.
Target the Nine Fully Evening/Online Programs for Working or Nontraditional Applicants
Hawkeye explicitly designates nine of its 40+ career and transfer programs (including the newer Medical Assistant program) as completable entirely online or in the evening. For adult, working, or geographically distant applicants (Hawkeye also runs satellite sites beyond Waterloo/Cedar Falls, including Iowa City, Dubuque, Des Moines, Davenport, and Sioux City), advisors should specifically confirm which of these nine programs matches the student's target career before enrollment, since scheduling flexibility is program-specific, not campus-wide.
Expert Insight:
Because Hawkeye is open-admission with no application fee, students and families sometimes assume every program inside the college is equally easy to enter - the nursing program in particular has real prerequisite-course gatekeeping (grades in A&P I/II, Composition I, and Nurse Aide certification) that can silently delay entry by a full year or more if the sequencing isn't planned from the first semester.
Hawkeye Community College Profile
Full Name
Hawkeye Community College
City
Waterloo
State
Iowa
ZIP Code
50701
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a Hawkeye Community College Degree Worth It?
At $15,065/year against a $42,849 median graduate salary, Hawkeye Community College is worth weighing against your specific program and financial situation — the numbers below give you a real basis for that decision.
The average household income among admitted students is $51,800, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.03%.
How much does a degree from Hawkeye Community College Cost?
The sticker price is $15,065/year, but the average net price students actually pay — after Pell and federal grants — is closer to $10,298.
21.9% of students receive a Pell Grant and 24% take federal loans at Hawkeye Community College — file your FAFSA early and list Hawkeye Community College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Hawkeye Community College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $42,849 — about 6% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Degree Programs at Hawkeye Community College
Associate Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Hawkeye Community College Admissions
Median earnings for Hawkeye Community College graduates sit around $42,849 a year.
At about $15,065 a year, Hawkeye Community College is on the more affordable end.
Hawkeye Community College's Pell Grant rate of 21.9% sits below the national average — merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
Hawkeye Community College follows Rolling Admissions — applications are reviewed year-round, so applying early is your best strategy.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is Foundation scholarship priority: 2027/03/01. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes — transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most — along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.