Public · Community college
East Central College
Union, Missouri · Distant town
- 15%
- Transfer rate
- $13,128
- Avg net price
- 48%
- Grad / completion
- $36,916
- Median earnings
East Central College is a public associate-granting institution in Union, Missouri (distant town setting), enrolling 1,639 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Union, Missouri
Union is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Missouri, United States. Union was founded in 1826 and designated as the county seat in 1827. The city is named for the ideal of political unity. A post office called Union has been in operation since 1827. The Missouri Meerschaum company, founded in 1869 is the first and oldest manufacturer of corn-cob pipes. With the introduction of the railroad in the late 1800s, Union saw an increase in population which in turn, increased the need for job opportunities. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Distant town
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 44 miles to St. Louis, MO
- To Great Lakes shore
- 291 miles
- Nearest airport
- 39 miles to St. Louis Lambert (STL) · major hub
How East Central College compares
Higher than 34% · #57 of 70 in Missouri
Higher than 38%
Higher than 56% · #26 of 62 in Missouri
Cheaper than 57% · #23 cheapest of 68 in Missouri
Lower than 57%
Lower than 73%
Larger than 79%
Percentiles compare East Central College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Missouri.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,08566%
- Men55434%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White85%
- Black1.3%
- Hispanic5.3%
- Asian0.7%
- Other or multiracial7.7%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,639
- Student–faculty ratio
- 12 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 33%
- First-generation students
- 46%
- Students over 25
- 17%
- Median family income
- $24,155
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $66,132
- Endowment
- $15,912,940
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 650 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Missouri99%
- Other U.S. states0.6%
Most first-years stay in state — East Central College draws overwhelmingly from Missouri.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,272
- Out-of-state tuition
- $7,680
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,500
- Total cost of attendance
- $19,386
- Average net price
- $13,128
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 48%
- First-year retention
- 67%
- Transferred to another college
- 15%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $33,017
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $36,916
- Median debt at graduation
- $9,500
- Students with federal loans
- 8%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 32%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 114 (70 men · 44 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (4)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (2,371 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 11% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,586. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 489 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $36,916
- Typical debt at graduation
- $9,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 26%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 40%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $9,962 (30%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 91°F
- Winter low
- 23°F
- Annual rain
- 45″
- Annual snow
- 14.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Union, MO US station (1.7 mi from campus).
What East Central College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to East Central College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare East Central College side by side →
Mineral Area College
Park Hills, Missouri · Distant town · 56 mi to St. Louis
- Students
- 1,592
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $35k
North Central Missouri College
Trenton, Missouri · Remote town · 85 mi to Kansas City
- Students
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- Tuition
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- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $41k
Missouri State University-West Plains
West Plains, Missouri · Remote town · 86 mi to Springfield
- Students
- 965
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $37k
Crowder College
Neosho, Missouri · Distant town · 53 mi to Fayetteville
- Students
- 2,570
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $36k
State Fair Community College
Sedalia, Missouri · Remote town · 53 mi to Columbia
- Students
- 2,694
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $36k
Three Rivers College
Poplar Bluff, Missouri · Remote town · 114 mi to Memphis
- Students
- 1,844
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $32k
Colleges near East Central College
Four Rivers Career Center
Washington, MO · Public · Certificate · 30 students
Evolve Beauty Academy
Washington, MO · Private for-profit · Certificate · 16 students
Jefferson College
Hillsboro, MO · Public · Associate · 2,552 students
Urshan Graduate School of Theology
Wentzville, MO · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Urshan University
Wentzville, MO · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 472 students
Logan University
Chesterfield, MO · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 229 students
St Louis College of Health Careers-Fenton
Fenton, MO · Private for-profit · Associate · 399 students
St Charles Community College
Cottleville, MO · Public · Associate · 5,017 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.