Erie Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Buffalo, New York. It enrolls 6,099 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.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
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.
Good
60/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes15
Value71
Affordability60
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Erie 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 Erie 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 $7,765 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$7,765
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
38%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
23%
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)
$6,100
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,300
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,320
Books & Supplies
$2,800
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,700
Total Cost of Attendance
$14,348
Application fee: $25 (one-time, due at submission)
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
$5,730
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,506
$48,001 – $75,000
$9,571
$75,001 – $110,000
$11,798
Over $110,000
$13,912
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.
$1,15710%percentile
$2,59125%percentile
$9,250Medianpercentile
$8,99175%percentile
$13,80290%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 $4,939
↓ $4,311
No Pell $6,500
↓ $2,750
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $3,750
Independent students $6,500
↓ $2,750
Female students $5,500
↓ $3,750
Male students $5,500
↓ $3,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($9,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
15% of full-time students who enrolled at Erie Community College graduate within six years, and 55% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
15%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
55%
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 Erie Community College earn a median of $41,228 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$41,228
Earning > $25K
66%
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
$32,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$41,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$32,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$39,500
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$43,000
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,500, about 21% 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 ↑
13.3 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 68% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Erie Community College is home to 6,099 students, a large student community. Some distinctive traits: 38% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
6,099
Part-Time
26%
First-Generation
38%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 44.8%2,729
Black 20.6%1,258
Hispanic 8.2%499
Asian 8.1%492
Other 4.5%274
International 1.0%58
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Erie Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large CityBuffalo, New York
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
26%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Erie Community College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
52 distinct programs across
23 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 Erie Community College is 16:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,859
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$4.2M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$50,603
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
214 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
98
46%
$61,455
Associate Professors
19
9%
$56,672
Assistant Professors
47
22%
$45,600
Instructors
50
23%
$31,729
Pros & Cons of Erie Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Erie 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
Reasonable class sizes
Low typical debt at graduation
CONS
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for:
Based on the data, Erie 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.
Frequently Asked Questions about Erie Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Erie Community College.
Is Erie Community College hard to get into?
Erie Community College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Erie Community College?
Erie Community College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Erie Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at Erie Community College is $7,765 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Erie Community College worth it?
Strong return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $41,228 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $7,765 per year. That's roughly 5.3x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Erie Community College known for?
Erie Community College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Erie Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Erie Community College are $41,228, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Erie Community College accredited?
Yes. Erie Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Erie Community College?
Erie Community College enrolls 6,099 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Erie Community College?
Erie Community College graduates 15% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Erie Community College a public or private college?
Erie Community College is a Public institution.
Where is Erie Community College located?
Erie Community College is located in Buffalo, New York.
What programs does Erie Community College offer?
Erie Community College offers 52 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Criminal Justice.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Erie Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Erie Community College is 16:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
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