SWIC vs. ECC

Comparable Facts

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

Elgin Community College is larger than SWIC based on total student enrollment (10,251 students vs. 8,492 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Southwestern Illinois College is located in Belleville, IL (Rural Fringe setting); Elgin Community College is in Elgin, IL (Midsize City setting).
• Southwestern Illinois College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Elgin Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Southwestern Illinois College 17:1; Elgin Community College 21:1.

SWIC vs. ECC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SWIC or ECC? 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 Elgin Community College than SWIC ($5,020 vs. $10,147).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Elgin Community College are 25.9% lower than at Southwestern Illinois College ($8,829 vs. $11,910).
• Southwestern Illinois College is 8.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than ECC (about $600 more per year; $7,740.00 vs. $7,140.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 41.6% higher at ECC than at Southwestern Illinois College (about $2,796 more per year; $9,516.00 vs. $6,720.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Elgin Community College than at Southwestern Illinois College (69% vs. 55%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Southwestern Illinois College students is 17.3% larger than aid received by Elgin Community College students ($6,073 vs. $5,178).

SWIC vs. ECC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SWIC or ECC? 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 ECC and SWIC.

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

SWIC vs. ECC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for SWIC and ECC? 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 Elgin Community College earn a median of about $5,400 more per year than SWIC graduates about ten years after starting college ($35,500 vs. $30,100), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Elgin Community College graduates have a $1,582 lower median loan debt than SWIC graduates ($5,393 vs. $6,975).
• Among borrowers, ECC graduates have an estimated $17 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than SWIC graduates ($55 vs. $72).
• More ECC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SWIC students, three years after graduation. (44% vs. 34%)

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.