Essex County College

303 University Ave
Newark, NJ 07102
Top Ranked (2024-25): View Rankings
  • Essex County College, an open access community college, serves the dynamic needs of diverse constituencies through comprehensive educational programs and services.

School Highlights

Essex County College serves 6,131 students (50% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 11:1 is lower than the state community college average of 13:1.
Minority enrollment is 99% of the student body (majority Asian), which is more than the state average of 93%.

Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • Enrollment: 6,131 students
  • In-state tuition: $6,156
  • Out-state tuition: $6,156
  • Student:teacher ratio: 11:1
  • Minority enrollment: 99%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Essex County College ranks among the top 20% of public schools in New Jersey for:

School Overview

The teacher population of 552 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Essex County College
(NJ) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associates Colleges
Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or nondegree-granting)
Institution Level
At least 2 but less than 4 years
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Public
Private not-for-profit
Total Faculty
552 staff
439 staff
This chart displays total faculty of Essex County College and community college average number of faculty in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of Essex County College has declined by 17% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 11:1 has decreased from 13:1 over five years.
The Essex County College diversity score of 0.71 is less than the state average of 0.79. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment
6,131 students
1,382 students
This chart displays the total enrollment of Essex County College and community college average number of enrollment of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
11:1
13:1
This chart displays the student staff ratio of Essex County College and community college average student staff ratio of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
3,055 students
567 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Essex County College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
3,076 students
815 students
This chart displays the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Essex County College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
This chart displays the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Essex County College.
This chart displays community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of New Jersey.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
566 students
545 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
3,055 students
567 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Essex County College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
32 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
3,076 students
586 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
9 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
24 students
20 students
This chart displays the dormitory capacity of Essex County College and the community college average dormitory capacity of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% American Indian/Alaskan
3%
4%
This chart displays the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Essex County College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Asian
46%
15%
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Essex County College and the percentage of Asian community college students in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hispanic
n/a
7%
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Essex County College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
% Black
26%
22%
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Essex County College and the percentage of Black community college students in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% White
1%
7%
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Essex County College and the percentage of White community college students in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hawaiian
9%
34%
This chart displays the percentage of Hawaiian students in Essex County College and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Two or more races
6%
8%
This chart displays the percentage of Two or more races students in Essex County College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Non Resident races
n/a
n/a
This chart displays the percentage of Non Resident students in Essex County College and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Unknown races
9%
3%
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Essex County College.
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in New Jersey.
Diversity Score
0.71
0.79
This chart displays the diversity score of Essex County College and the community college average diversity score of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
0.1457%
0.4254%
This chart displays completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Essex County College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
n/a
0.4107%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$34,400
$36,100
This chart displays average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Essex County College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of New Jersey by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $6,156 is more than the state average of $5,181. The in-state tuition has declined by 29% over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $6,156 is less than the state average of $7,190. The out-state tuition has declined by 29% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$6,156
$5,181
This chart displays tuition fees for an in-state student of Essex County College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$6,156
$7,190
This chart displays tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Essex County College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
90%
87%
This chart displays the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Essex County College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in New Jersey by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
n/a
$11,000
Median Debt for Dropouts
n/a
$5,500
Acceptance Rate
n/a
76%
Source: 2023 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Notes

  • ECC was established in 1966 as the public, two-year, open access community college of Essex County, admitted its first students in temporary quarters in downtown Newark in 1968, and moved to its current permanent site in the heart of the University Heights district of the city in 1976. Newark is New Jersey s largest city, 10 miles west of New York City. Approximately 25,000 people enroll each year in ECC s various degree and non-degree programs, including students from more than 40 foreign countries. The curriculum features close to 70 majors and 564 courses as part of a wide range of transfer and career programs. The 22-acre main campus in Newark features a multilevel megastructure covering three city blocks, a two-level multipurpose Physical Education Building/ Child Development Center complex, the Center for Technology, and the Clara E. Dasher Student Center. Among the resources of the 502,000 square foot megastructure are state-of-the-art laboratories, high tech classrooms with advanced teaching modalities, the Mary B. Burch Theater for the Performing Arts, and a newly renovated library equipped with online public access catalog stations, a computer lab offering instruction in information literacy, and extensive resource materials. At ECC, students can earn Associate in Arts ( A. A. ) and Associate in Science ( A. S. ) degrees for transfer to four-year colleges, or they can pursue Associate in Applied Science ( A. A. S. ) degrees and certificates to prepare for immediate employment. Some A. A. S. programs also transfer; academic advisors can provide additional information on the transfer process. Transfer/ articulation agreements exist with many institutions. Community and continuing education programs include intensive basic skills training, multilingual outreach programs, customized corporate training programs, career advancement and personal enrichment courses, youth programs, seminars, workshops, and public forums on diverse topics of interest to local residents. Essex County College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Essex County College cost?
Essex County College's tuition is approximately $6,156 for In-State students and $6,156 for Out-State students.
What is Essex County College's ranking?
Essex County College ranks among the top 20% of community college in New Jersey for: Average community college minority breakdown.
In what neighborhood is Essex County College located?
Essex County College is located in the University Heights neighborhood of Newark, NJ.

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Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • Enrollment: 6,131 students
  • In-state tuition: $6,156
  • Out-state tuition: $6,156
  • Student:teacher ratio: 11:1
  • Minority enrollment: 99%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Related School Videos

Did You Know?

For New Jersey public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $5,181 per year for in-state students and $7,190 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $16,268 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

The average community college acceptance rate in New Jersey is 74%. Read more about national community college acceptance rates.

New Jersey community colleges have a diversity score of 0.79, which is higher than the national average of 0.75. The most diverse community college in New Jersey is Assumption College for Sisters. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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