Public · Community college

East Central Community College

Decatur, Mississippi · Remote rural

15%
Transfer rate
$5,240
Avg net price
36%
Grad / completion
$32,421
Median earnings

East Central Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Decatur, Mississippi (remote rural setting), enrolling 1,520 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicSmall · 1,520 undergradsRemote ruralNJCAA Division II

About Decatur, Mississippi

Decatur is a town in and the county seat of Newton County, Mississippi. Newton County was created and Decatur established as the county seat in 1836. The Newton County Courthouse was built in Decatur in 1972. It was built by Tatum Concrete Company. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote rural
Highest degree offered
Associate
Nearest big city
63 miles to Jackson, MS
To the ocean
134 miles
Nearest airport
22 miles to Key Field / Meridian (MEI)

How East Central Community College compares

Graduation rate36%

Higher than 21% · #30 of 33 in Mississippi

First-year retention60%

Higher than 24%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$32,421

Higher than 40% · #11 of 28 in Mississippi

Average net price$5,240

Cheaper than 90% · #8 cheapest of 34 in Mississippi

Median debt at graduation$5,500

Lower than 96%

Student–faculty ratio19 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment1,520

Larger than 78%

Percentiles compare East Central Community 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 Mississippi.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

1,520undergrads
  • Women87057%
  • Men65043%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White50%
  • Black32%
  • Hispanic6.8%
  • Other or multiracial11%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,520
Student–faculty ratio
19 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
39%
First-generation students
37%
Students over 25
9%
Median family income
$22,722
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$42,156
Endowment
$11,019,579

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Cost

In-state tuition
$4,160
Out-of-state tuition
$6,260
Room & board
$4,850
Books & supplies
$1,480
Total cost of attendance
$13,255
Average net price
$5,240

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
36%
First-year retention
60%
Transferred to another college
15%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$28,873
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$32,421
Median debt at graduation
$5,500
Students with federal loans
6%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
36%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
36%
Low-income (Pell)
37%
First-generation
35%

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
Yes
Dorm capacity
650
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
43%
Housing charge (year)
$1,700
Meal plan (year)
$2,470
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NJCAA Division II
Varsity athletes
216 (154 men · 62 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 (9)

Football65
Soccer38
Baseball31
Basketball29
Softball19
Tennis14
Cross Country11
Golf7
Swimming2

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
5

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,785 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.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

1.7reported offenses a year
0 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
1.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

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.

< $30k
$4,575
$30–48k
$4,371
$48–75k
$6,427
$75–110k
$9,900
$110k+
$12,412

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.

50%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,173
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 50% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,173. 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 543 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)
$32,421
Typical debt at graduation
$5,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
17%
Out-earn a HS grad
39%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$28,808
Men
$39,208

Men out-earn women by $10,400 (36%) 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
93°F
Winter low
33°F
Annual rain
58.5″
Annual snow
0.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.06.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Newton Exp Stn, MS US station (7.4 mi from campus).

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 Community College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare East Central Community College side by side →

Colleges near East Central Community College

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.