ECC vs. Northwestern College

Comparable Facts

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

Elgin Community College is larger than Northwestern College based on total student enrollment (10,251 students vs. 464 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Elgin Community College is located in Elgin, IL (Midsize City setting); Northwestern College is in Oak Lawn, IL (Large Suburban setting).
• Elgin Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Northwestern College is a private, for-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Elgin Community College 21:1; Northwestern College 12:1.

ECC vs. Northwestern College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECC or Northwestern 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 Northwestern College are 8.3% lower than at Elgin Community College ($8,100 vs. $8,829).
• Northwestern College is 156% more expensive for in-state tuition than ECC (about $11,140 more per year; $18,280.00 vs. $7,140.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 92.1% higher at Northwestern College than at Elgin Community College (about $8,764 more per year; $18,280.00 vs. $9,516.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Elgin Community College than at Northwestern College (69% vs. 0%).

ECC vs. Northwestern College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ECC or Northwestern 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 Northwestern College and ECC.

• Elgin Community College reports an open admissions policy.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: ECC - Open admission; Northwestern College - Not reported.

ECC vs. Northwestern College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ECC and Northwestern 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 $3,500 more per year than Northwestern College graduates about ten years after starting college ($35,500 vs. $32,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Elgin Community College graduates have a $21,607 lower median loan debt than Northwestern College graduates ($5,393 vs. $27,000).
• Among borrowers, ECC graduates have an estimated $224 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Northwestern College graduates ($55 vs. $279).
• More ECC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northwestern College students, three years after graduation. (44% vs. 22%)

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.