ECC vs. Prairie State College

Should I go to Elgin Community College or Prairie State College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ECC or Prairie State College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

Harper COD Waubonsee MCC SSC MVCC College of Lake County Triton College Rock Valley College Joliet Junior College Oakton Community College
Elgin Community College vs. Prairie State College comparison
Elgin Community College Prairie State College College 3 College 4
Elgin Community College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 ECC Prairie State College
Location Elgin, IL Chicago Heights, IL
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 8,910 2,680
Type Public 2 Year Public 2 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website elgin.edu prairiestate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 ECC Prairie State College
Tuition (In State) $3,168 $3,444
Tuition (Out of State) $9,504 $10,332
Room & Board $7,650 $7,516
Avg Net Price $3,968 $6,887
Avg Grant Aid $5,148 $6,839
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 98%

Admission

 ECC Prairie State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline

Academics

 ECC Prairie State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (20%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (14%)
  • Personal and Culinary Services (8%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Health Professions (53%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (6%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • General Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 ECC Prairie State College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,500 $33,000
Making Student Loan Payments 44% 28%
Median Student Loan Debt $5,393 $10,232
Median Loan Payment $55 $105

Diversity

 ECC Prairie State College
% Men 44% 39%
% Women 56% 61%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 49% 21%
% Black 5% 58%
% Hispanic 34% 14%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 4%

Students

 ECC Prairie State College
% In-State 99% 92%
% Out-of-State 0% 5%

Campus

 ECC Prairie State College
Campus Housing No No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Elgin Community College is larger than than Prairie State College based on total student enrollment (8,910 students vs. 2,680 students)

ECC vs. Prairie State College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECC or Prairie State College?

  • Prairie State College is 20.8% more expensive to attend than ECC for in-state tuition ($8,610.00 vs. $7,128.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.7% higher at Prairie State College than Elgin Community College ($10,332.00 vs. $9,504.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Elgin Community College than Prairie State College ($3,968 vs. $6,887)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Prairie State College are 1.8% lower than costs at Elgin Community College ($7,516 vs. $7,650)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Prairie State College than Elgin Community College (98% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Prairie State College students is 32.8% larger than aid received Elgin Community College ($6,839 vs. $5,148)

Which college is harder to get into, ECC or Prairie State College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Prairie State College or ECC .

ECC vs. Prairie State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECC or Prairie State College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Prairie State College and ECC.

  • Graduates from Elgin Community College earn on average $2,500 more per year than Prairie State College graduates after ten years. ($35,500 vs. $33,000)
  • Elgin Community College students graduate with a $4,839 lower median federal student loan debt than Prairie State College graduates. ($5,393 vs. $10,232)
  • ECC graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Prairie State College graduates. ($55 vs. $105)
  • More ECC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Prairie State College students, three years after graduation. (44% vs. 28%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/