Public Associate Good 61/100

East Central College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Union, Missouri

About East Central College

Thinking about East Central College, a college in Missouri where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

East Central College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Union, Missouri. It enrolls 1,639 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
13%
Net Price
$13,128
Median Earnings (10yr)
$36,916
Enrollment
1,639
Student : Faculty
13:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
61/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 51
Value 38
Affordability 42
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, East Central College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $13,128 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$13,128
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
33%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
8%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,272
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$7,680
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,986
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$12,514
Total Cost of Attendance
$19,386

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $12,281
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $11,895
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $14,271
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $14,999
  • Over $110,000
    $17,560

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,750
10% percentile
$3,069
25% percentile
$9,500
Median percentile
$15,312
75% percentile
$29,172
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $7,312 ↓ $2,188
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $4,000
Dependent students $5,250 ↓ $4,250
Independent students $9,750 ↑ $250
Female students $7,500 ↓ $2,000
Male students $5,500 ↓ $4,000
Pell recipients: 17.9% (1,702 students)No Pell: 13.5% (1,280 students)Dependent students: 12.9% (1,222 students)Independent students: 23.9% (2,270 students)Female students: 18.4% (1,746 students)Male students: 13.5% (1,280 students)Overall Median$9,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($9,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

13% of students who start here finish within six years, and 66% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
13%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
66%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $36,916 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$36,916
Earning > $25K
63%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$32,000$34,000$35,000$36,000$38,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$29,100

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$38,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$30,100

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$33,300

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$38,200

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,600, about 25% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 26.8 pts across 6 years
51.5%1yr57.2%3yr64.2%5yr78.3%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 78% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,639 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 46% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
1,639
Part-Time
35%
First-Generation
46%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 84.9% 1,392
Other 6.0% 98
Hispanic 5.3% 87
International 1.5% 25
Black 1.3% 22
Asian 0.7% 11
White: 84.9% (1,392 students)Other: 6.0% (98 students)Hispanic: 5.3% (87 students)International: 1.5% (25 students)Black: 1.3% (22 students)Asian: 0.7% (11 students)Total1,639

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at East Central College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Distant Union, Missouri
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
17% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

East Central College offers a varied set of programs: 30 distinct programs across 12 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

1 Program
8 Programs
4 Programs
4 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,181
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$14M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$63,831
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

70 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 3 4% $81,724
Associate Professors 10 14% $78,259
Assistant Professors 18 26% $64,479
Instructors 39 56% $58,456

Pros & Cons of East Central College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where East Central College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Open admissions
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for: Based on the data, East Central College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about East Central College

The questions families ask most about East Central College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is East Central College hard to get into?
Not especially. East Central College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at East Central College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does East Central College cost?
Budget around $13,128 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is East Central College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $36,916 a year against a net price of $13,128, about 2.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is East Central College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Teaching Specific Subjects. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do East Central College graduates earn?
About $36,916 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is East Central College accredited?
Yes. East Central College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend East Central College?
1,639 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at East Central College?
13% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is East Central College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is East Central College located?
East Central College is located in Union, Missouri.
What programs does East Central College offer?
30 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Teaching Specific Subjects. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at East Central College?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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