Elgin Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Elgin, Illinois. It enrolls 6,648 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
75/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes61
Value86
Affordability46
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Elgin Community College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Elgin Community College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $6,026 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$6,026
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
22%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
3%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$3,252
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$9,516
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,829
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,780
Total Cost of Attendance
$10,408
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$5,089
$30,001 – $48,000
$5,006
$48,001 – $75,000
$6,816
$75,001 – $110,000
$8,562
Over $110,000
$9,083
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,30010%percentile
$2,08825%percentile
$7,390Medianpercentile
$7,87175%percentile
$13,54590%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $4,952
↓ $2,438
No Pell $4,758
↓ $2,632
Dependent students $4,400
↓ $2,990
Independent students $5,518
↓ $1,872
Female students $5,000
↓ $2,390
Male students $4,385
↓ $3,005
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,351, less than completers ($7,390), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
24% of full-time students who enrolled at Elgin Community College graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
24%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
77%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Elgin Community College earn a median of $45,516 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$45,516
Earning > $25K
70%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$31,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$43,500
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$33,200
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$37,300
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$42,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,300, about 28% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
8.6 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 69% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Elgin Community College is home to 6,648 students, a large student community. Some distinctive traits: 52% are first-generation college students, 59% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
6,648
Part-Time
59%
First-Generation
52%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Hispanic 46.7%3,106
White 33.9%2,251
Asian 7.0%463
Other 4.7%310
Black 4.6%304
International 1.9%126
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Elgin Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize CityElgin, Illinois
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
32%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
What You Can Study
Elgin Community College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
56 distinct programs across
19 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Elgin Community College is 19:1, on the higher side.
Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,784
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$10M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$102,506
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
144 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
60
42%
$127,593
Associate Professors
28
19%
$103,048
Assistant Professors
25
17%
$85,804
Instructors
31
22%
$66,930
Pros & Cons of Elgin Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Elgin Community College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
Low typical debt at graduation
First-gen-friendly student body
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Class sizes are on the higher side
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, Elgin Community College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about Elgin Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Elgin Community College.
Is Elgin Community College hard to get into?
Elgin Community College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Elgin Community College?
Elgin Community College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Elgin Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at Elgin Community College is $6,026 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Elgin Community College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $45,516 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $6,026 per year. That's roughly 7.6x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Elgin Community College known for?
Elgin Community College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Elgin Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Elgin Community College are $45,516, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Elgin Community College accredited?
Yes. Elgin Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Elgin Community College?
Elgin Community College enrolls 6,648 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Elgin Community College?
Elgin Community College graduates 24% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Elgin Community College a public or private college?
Elgin Community College is a Public institution.
Where is Elgin Community College located?
Elgin Community College is located in Elgin, Illinois.
What programs does Elgin Community College offer?
Elgin Community College offers 56 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Elgin Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Elgin Community College is 19:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Illinois
Other colleges in Illinois share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
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Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Rankings That Feature Elgin Community College
Elgin Community College appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
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89 UCD Score
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$2,232 Lowest Net
$81,054 Top Earn
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91 UCD Score
86 Colleges
$2,232 Lowest Net
$91,885 Top Earn
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91 UCD Score
73 Colleges
$2,232 Lowest Net
$91,885 Top Earn
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The top Nursing colleges in Illinois, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
83 UCD Score
82 Colleges
$2,232 Lowest Net
$77,709 Top Earn
Best Teacher Education Colleges in Illinois
The top Teacher Education colleges in Illinois, ranked by UCD Score on outcomes, value, and net price.
91 UCD Score
51 Colleges
$2,835 Lowest Net
$91,885 Top Earn
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