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.
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
Higher than 21% · #30 of 33 in Mississippi
Higher than 24%
Higher than 40% · #11 of 28 in Mississippi
Cheaper than 90% · #8 cheapest of 34 in Mississippi
Lower than 96%
Lower than 35%
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
- 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)
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)
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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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: 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.
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 $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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Newton Exp Stn, MS US station (7.4 mi from campus).
What East Central Community 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 Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare East Central Community College side by side →
Meridian Community College
Meridian, Mississippi · Remote town · 85 mi to Jackson
- Students
- 2,156
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $31k
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Wesson, Mississippi · Distant rural · 44 mi to Jackson
- Students
- 1,922
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $31k
East Mississippi Community College
Scooba, Mississippi · Remote rural · 106 mi to Jackson
- Students
- 2,838
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $34k
Jones County Junior College
Ellisville, Mississippi · Distant town · 75 mi to Jackson
- Students
- 3,535
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $33k
Mississippi Delta Community College
Moorhead, Mississippi · Distant rural · 81 mi to Jackson
- Students
- 1,413
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 16%
- Earnings
- $28k
Holmes Community College
Goodman, Mississippi · Remote rural · 49 mi to Jackson
- Students
- 3,958
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $33k
Colleges near East Central Community College
Meridian Community College
Meridian, MS · Public · Associate · 2,156 students
East Mississippi Community College
Scooba, MS · Public · Associate · 2,838 students
Southeastern Baptist College
Laurel, MS · Private nonprofit · Associate · 93 students
Hatfield's Mississippi College of Beauty Culture
Laurel, MS · Private for-profit · Certificate · 57 students
University of West Alabama
Livingston, AL · Public · Bachelor's · 2,974 students
Wesley Biblical Seminary
Ridgeland, MS · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 24 students
Jones County Junior College
Ellisville, MS · Public · Associate · 3,535 students
Holmes Community College
Goodman, MS · Public · Associate · 3,958 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.






