Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs opened in 1966 and now offers more than 80 programs in Career and Technical Education and Liberal Arts. The campus sits on 250 scenic acres in Iowa’s Loess Hills. The Higher Learning Commission accredits the college, which gives students the resources of a larger institution while still providing the comfort and quiet of a smaller campus.
Our History of Iowa Western Community College
In the mid-1960s, leaders across Iowa recognized the growing need for more opportunities in higher education. As a result, area school legislation passed on June 7, 1965. Soon after, seven county boards of education—Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby—created a proposal for Iowa Western Community College and submitted it to the State Board of Public Instruction.
After the counties selected campus locations, the State Board approved the proposal in February 1966. This decision marked the beginning of Iowa Western’s role in serving Southwest Iowa.
Clarinda Junior College, founded in 1923, became one of the first campuses. It already had a strong history of offering two-year liberal arts programs in the region. At the same time, leaders selected Council Bluffs as the site for a new campus. Over the next several years, Iowa Western expanded into other parts of the district and opened centers in Atlantic, Harlan, and Shenandoah.
On January 23, 1967, Iowa Western launched its first two vocational-technical programs in Council Bluffs. The college continued to grow, and in the fall of 1968 it added a full liberal arts curriculum to the Council Bluffs Campus. This addition strengthened Iowa Western’s mission to provide broad educational opportunities for students throughout the region.
