Essex County College
Tuition, net price, admissions, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Newark, New Jersey
Net price / year
$4,436
after grants & scholarships
lower than 88% of public 2-year colleges
Acceptance rate
Open admission
accepts most applicants
Graduation rate
20%
within 150% of normal time
lower than 91% of public 2-year colleges
Median earnings
$48,042
4 years after graduating
lower than 58% of public 2-year colleges
Essex County College at a glance
- What is the tuition at Essex County College?
- In-state undergraduate tuition and fees are $5,415 for the 2024-25 academic year, or $9,523 for out-of-state students.
- What is the cost of attendance at Essex County College?
- The average cost of attendance is $12,506 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Essex County College?
- The average net price for in-state students is $4,436 a year after grants and scholarships (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Essex County College?
- This school has open admission: most applicants who meet basic requirements are accepted.
- What is the graduation rate at Essex County College?
- 20% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 3 years (entering classes through fall 2021).
- How much do graduates of Essex County College earn?
- The median graduate earns $48,042 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 0.8 years of work (not counting income forgone while studying).
- At $4,436 a year, the average net price is lower than 88% of public 2-year colleges.
- This school has open admission, so most applicants who meet basic requirements are accepted.
- Families earning under $30,000 pay about $3,792 a year on average, versus $9,647 for families earning over $110,000.
- Health Professions and Related Programs is the largest field of study here, at 25% of the degrees and certificates awarded.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Essex County College
Average net price (in-state)
$4,436 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Essex County College net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$8,872
Net price × 2 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $3,792
- $30–48k $4,562
- $48–75k $6,135
- $75–110k $7,345
- $110k+ $9,647
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $12,506
- Tuition & fees$5,415
- Books & supplies$2,400
- Room & board$10,500
- Other expenses$4,266
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $5,415
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $9,523
Essex County College acceptance rate and admissions
Open admission
The school admits most applicants who meet basic requirements.
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Essex County College
Graduation rate
20%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
57%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
0.8 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $18,112 · median $37,230 · 75th percentile $58,258
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Programs and majors at Essex County College ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate · Graduates: 55 | $105,634 | 1 yr$70,5004 yrs$105,6345 yrs$98,404 | U.S. median $80,813 U.S. middle half $61.1K–$103.8K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions Associate · Graduates: 23 Small sample | $68,134 | 1 yr$37,7404 yrs$68,134 | U.S. median $48,724 U.S. middle half $34.8K–$64.1K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Associate · Graduates: 29 Small sample | $61,635 | 1 yr$54,5924 yrs$61,6355 yrs$61,219 | U.S. median $42,269 U.S. middle half $28.6K–$56K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Accounting and Related Services Associate · Graduates: 55 | $56,282 | 1 yr$29,0264 yrs$56,2825 yrs$44,577 | U.S. median $47,660 U.S. middle half $32.4K–$63.7K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations Associate · Graduates: 131 | $48,863 | 1 yr$32,6384 yrs$48,8635 yrs$52,619 | U.S. median $48,733 U.S. middle half $31.7K–$67.6K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Computer Programming Associate · Graduates: 24 Small sample | $48,758 | 4 yrs$48,7585 yrs$68,836 | U.S. median $58,070 U.S. middle half $37.2K–$83.5K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs Associate · Graduates: 132 | $46,812 | 1 yr$26,5964 yrs$46,8125 yrs$44,612 | U.S. median $51,711 U.S. middle half $32.5K–$79K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections Associate · Graduates: 73 | $44,621 | 1 yr$31,9084 yrs$44,6215 yrs$44,582 | U.S. median $46,706 U.S. middle half $31.5K–$63.7K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Associate · Graduates: 129 | $44,106 | 1 yr$22,0534 yrs$44,1065 yrs$36,237 | U.S. median $43,146 U.S. middle half $26.5K–$59.2K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Social Work Associate · Graduates: 18 Small sample | $40,064 | 4 yrs$40,0645 yrs$34,725 | U.S. median $39,409 U.S. middle half $25.8K–$51.1K · Above the U.S. median | — |
Show all 13 programs
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Associate · Graduates: 66 | $37,715 | 1 yr$23,7684 yrs$37,7155 yrs$33,841 | U.S. median $37,656 U.S. middle half $24.8K–$49.8K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate · Graduates: 91 | $37,177 | 1 yr$25,7924 yrs$37,1775 yrs$32,934 | U.S. median $44,125 U.S. middle half $28.9K–$61.6K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Associate · Graduates: 25 Small sample | $34,961 | 4 yrs$34,9615 yrs$42,017 | U.S. median $44,758 U.S. middle half $27.5K–$65.1K · Below the U.S. median | — |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 5.9%
- Black or African American 45.2%
- Hispanic or Latino 27.6%
- Asian 2.3%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
- Two or more races 1.3%
- U.S. nonresident 13.6%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 3.8%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 39.6%
- Women 60.4%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
32%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 5,855
- Part-time students
- 48%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 47%
- Receive federal loans
- 0%
- Students per faculty member
- 26 : 1
- Setting
- City
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Where it ranks
This college appears in the top 50 of these TuitionScope rankings.
Guides worth reading
Plain-language explainers that help you read the numbers on this page.
More in New Jersey
In New Jersey
National rankings
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Essex County College?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Essex County College reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $5,415 for in-state students and $9,523 for out-of-state students. These are published prices before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Essex County College?
The average cost of attendance at Essex County College is $12,506 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $4,436 a year. That is lower than 88% of public 2-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Essex County College get?
47% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 0% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $3,792 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $9,647 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Essex County College?
Essex County College has open admission: it accepts most applicants who meet basic requirements.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Essex County College?
20% of first-time, full-time students at Essex County College finish within 150% of normal time. 57% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Essex County College graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $48,042 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $30,419.
Is Essex County College worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Essex County College, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 0.8 years of work. 20% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
Which programs at Essex County College lead to the highest earnings?
Among programs with reported data, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($105,634) and Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions ($68,134) lead to the highest median earnings four years after completing.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2021 or AcadYr 2021-22 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things