ECC vs. Frontier Community College

Deciding between Elgin Community College and Frontier Community College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Elgin Community College

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • ECC Elgin, IL
  • Frontier Community College Fairfield, IL
  • Setting
  • ECC Midsize City
  • Frontier Community College Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • ECC 10,251
  • Frontier Community College 2,364
  • Type
  • ECC Public 2 Year
  • Frontier Community College Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • ECC
  • Frontier Community College
  • Religious Affiliation
  • ECC -
  • Frontier Community College -
  • Status
  • ECC Non-profit
  • Frontier Community College Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • ECC
  • Frontier Community College

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • ECC $3,252
  • Frontier Community College $4,390
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • ECC $9,516
  • Frontier Community College $11,250
  • Room & Board
  • ECC $8,829
  • Frontier Community College $7,338
  • Average Net Price
  • ECC $5,020
  • Frontier Community College -
  • Average Grant Aid
  • ECC $5,178
  • Frontier Community College $0
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • ECC 69%
  • Frontier Community College 0%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • ECC -
  • Frontier Community College -
  • Admitted
  • ECC -
  • Frontier Community College -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • ECC Open
  • Frontier Community College Open
  • Enrolled
  • ECC Open
  • Frontier Community College Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • ECC
  • Frontier Community College
  • Typical ACT score
  • ECC
  • Frontier Community College
  • Average High School GPA
  • ECC -
  • Frontier Community College -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • ECC -
  • Frontier Community College -
  • Admissions Standards
  • ECC Unavailable
  • Frontier Community College Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • ECC
  • Frontier Community College
  • ACT Range
  • ECC
  • Frontier Community College
  • SAT Range
  • ECC
  • Frontier Community College
  • Submit Test Scores
  • ECC Open admission
  • Frontier Community College Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • ECC
  • Frontier Community College

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • ECC 21:1
  • Frontier Community College 31:1
  • Popular Majors
  • ECC
    • Health Professions (26%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (20%)
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (14%)
    • Personal and Culinary Services (8%)
    • Business (6%)
  • Frontier Community College
    • Health Professions (64%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (18%)
    • Construction Trades (5%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (4%)
    • Engineering Technology (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • ECC -
  • Frontier Community College -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • ECC $35,500
  • Frontier Community College $30,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • ECC 44%
  • Frontier Community College 44%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • ECC $5,393
  • Frontier Community College $6,374
  • Median Loan Payment
  • ECC $55
  • Frontier Community College $65

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • ECC 45%
  • Frontier Community College 68%
  • % Women
  • ECC 55%
  • Frontier Community College 32%
  • Racial Diversity
  • ECC High
  • Frontier Community College Extremely Low
  • HBCU
  • ECC No
  • Frontier Community College No
  • % White
  • ECC 49%
  • Frontier Community College 93%
  • % Asian
  • ECC 6%
  • Frontier Community College 1%
  • % Black
  • ECC 5%
  • Frontier Community College 1%
  • % Hispanic
  • ECC 34%
  • Frontier Community College 2%
  • % Native American
  • ECC 0%
  • Frontier Community College 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • ECC 0%
  • Frontier Community College 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • ECC 3%
  • Frontier Community College 2%
  • % International
  • ECC 0%
  • Frontier Community College 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • ECC 3%
  • Frontier Community College 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • ECC 99%
  • Frontier Community College 96%
  • % Out-of-State
  • ECC 0%
  • Frontier Community College 1%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • ECC No
  • Frontier Community College No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • ECC No
  • Frontier Community College No
  • Meal Plan
  • ECC No
  • Frontier Community College No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • ECC Yes
  • Frontier Community College Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • ECC Yes
  • Frontier Community College No

Comparable Facts

Compare Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL with Frontier Community College in Fairfield, IL on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Elgin Community College is larger than Frontier Community College based on total student enrollment (10,251 students vs. 2,364 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Elgin Community College is located in Elgin, IL (Midsize City setting); Frontier Community College is in Fairfield, IL (Rural Fringe setting).
  • Elgin Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Frontier Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Elgin Community College 21:1; Frontier Community College 31:1.

ECC vs. Frontier Community College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECC or Frontier Community College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Frontier Community College are 16.9% lower than at Elgin Community College ($7,338 vs. $8,829).
  • Frontier Community College is 28.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than ECC (about $2,040 more per year; $9,180.00 vs. $7,140.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 18.2% higher at Frontier Community College than at Elgin Community College (about $1,734 more per year; $11,250.00 vs. $9,516.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Elgin Community College than at Frontier Community College (69% vs. 0%).

ECC vs. Frontier Community College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ECC or Frontier Community College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Frontier Community College and ECC.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: ECC - Open admission; Frontier Community College - Open admission.

ECC vs. Frontier Community College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ECC and Frontier Community College? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Graduates from Elgin Community College earn a median of about $4,700 more per year than Frontier Community College graduates about ten years after starting college ($35,500 vs. $30,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Elgin Community College graduates have a $981 lower median loan debt than Frontier Community College graduates ($5,393 vs. $6,374).
  • Among borrowers, ECC graduates have an estimated $10 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Frontier Community College graduates ($55 vs. $65).
  • More Frontier Community College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ECC students, three years after graduation. (44% vs. 44%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.