Essex County College vs. SCC

Comparable Facts

Compare Essex County College in Newark, NJ with Salem Community College in Carneys Point, NJ on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Essex County College is larger than SCC based on total student enrollment (7,026 students vs. 1,135 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Essex County College is located in Newark, NJ (Large City setting); Salem Community College is in Carneys Point, NJ (Rural Fringe setting).
• Essex County College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Salem Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Essex County College 26:1; Salem Community College 17:1.

Essex County College vs. SCC Cost Comparison

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

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Essex County College than SCC ($4,971 vs. $10,462).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Salem Community College are 4.8% lower than at Essex County College ($10,000 vs. $10,500).
• Essex County College is 29% more expensive for in-state tuition than SCC (about $2,143 more per year; $9,523.00 vs. $7,380.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 7.7% higher at SCC than at Essex County College (about $737 more per year; $10,260.00 vs. $9,523.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Essex County College than at Salem Community College (77% vs. 63%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Essex County College students is 8.6% larger than aid received by Salem Community College students ($7,377 vs. $6,792).

Essex County College vs. SCC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Essex County College or SCC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between SCC and Essex County College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Essex County College - Open admission; SCC - Open admission.
• Typical fall application deadline: Essex County College Aug 24, 2027.

Essex County College vs. SCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Essex County College and SCC? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from Essex County College earn a median of about $3,100 more per year than SCC graduates about ten years after starting college ($33,600 vs. $30,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

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.