About

Elgin Community College (ECC) is a comprehensive, fully accredited public institution recognized by the Aspen Institute as one of the top 25 community colleges in the United States. ECC offers something for everyone, from career and technical education, Associate degrees or continuing education classes, child care, and arts center events for the community. 

Our Community

At ECC, you'll join a welcoming community of faculty and staff who care about your success. Our 11,000 students and more than 66,000 alumni represent diverse backgrounds, ages, career interests, and goals while sharing a strong sense of community and a commitment to success. ECC is designated a Hispanic Serving Institution by the US Department of Education. Check out these "Fast Facts" about ECC students.

Beautiful Campus in a Great Location

ECC is conveniently located halfway between Chicago and Rockford in Illinois and easily accessible from several major highways. ECC's 145-acre Spartan Drive Campus features smart classrooms, facilities, and equipment that mirror what is in use in the workforce, a vibrant and engaging campus experience, and support services that help students succeed. See the Virtual Campus Tour.

The Burlington-based, 120-acre Elgin Community College Center for Emergency Services features classrooms, a three-story burn tower, training bays, and a diving pond to train current and future first responders.

ECC also serves its community through the Education and Work Center in Hanover Park. The center—a partnership between Harper College, the village of Hanover Park, the Chicago-Cook Workforce partnership, and the state of Illinois—offers English as a second language, adult basic education, and career skills development.

Indigenous Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge that Elgin Community College currently sits on the traditional homelands of the Anishinaabe peoples: the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, and many other Native tribes. Let this land acknowledgment contribute to a continuing, profound, respectful relationship between ECC and Native peoples.

Programs for Everyone

Choose from 131 degree and certificate programs and dozens of continuing education classes. Whether you want to take a coding boot camp through continuing education or earn an in-demand certificate in CNC Programming or Fire Science, ECC is the place for you.

A Great Value

Tuition is a fraction of what you would pay at any other school. In addition to quality instruction taught by our esteemed faculty, we offer generous scholarships and financial aid packages that bring your costs down even further. Why choose anywhere else? 

A Leader College

Elgin Community College is nationally recognized as a Leader College of Distinction by Achieving the Dream, Inc., a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping more community college students, particularly low-income students and students of color, stay in school and earn a college certificate or degree.

In 2021, The Aspen Institute named Elgin Community College one of the top 150 community colleges in the United States, and we received the same honor in 2013, 2017, and 2019. ECC is the only Chicago-land community college recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 150 college more than two times. In 2022, ECC was named among 25 colleges nationwide as a semifinalist for the 2023 $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges.

Eligible colleges must show strong and improving student outcomes in critical areas, including retention, completion, transfer, and equity. ECC and the other colleges selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving student success and equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. Eligibility for the Aspen Prize is based on publicly available data. Nationwide, 15 percent of community colleges (150 of the approximately 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide assessed for the Prize) have been invited to apply—see the complete list on the Prize homepage.

Institutional Partnerships

Look at the collaborative projects that impact organizational quality, performance issues, and local workforce needs.

Achieving the Dream

Achieving the Dream believes its mission is urgent, and the stakes for success have never been higher. Our country's future requires strengthening our communities by relentlessly addressing systemic inequities within higher education to increase social and economic mobility for all students and families. We're leading America's largest community college network, working to become a solid student and community growth engine. Read the latest report and learn more about the Achieving the Dream initiative at Elgin Community College.

Alliance for College and Career Student Success

The ACCSS includes members from Elgin Community College District 509 and its public school districts, Community Unit School District 300, Central District 301, St. Charles School District 303, and Unit District 46. This group brings together high school and college constituencies to address the preparedness of area high school students to compete and succeed in college. Read the latest report and learn more about the Alliance for College and Career Student Success. 

The Center for Global Engagement at ECC

We warmly welcome students from more than 25 countries. Studying abroad increases global awareness and cultural competency and boosts your resume in a competitive global marketplace. We offer study abroad and faculty exchange programs and participate in international education in professional associations, the community, and national and international levels. Learn more about International Education Programs

Illinois Community College Diversity Commission

ECC is an institutional member of ICCDC. The mission of the Illinois Community College Diversity Commission is to advocate for Illinois community college diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioners in their effort to create strategic objectives to advance their campus diversity effort and address issues that impact community college stakeholders from diverse populations.

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

ECC is designated a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. The HACU works to promote the development of member colleges and universities. They improve access to and quality post-secondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students. As a member institution, we are proud to meet the needs of business, industry, and government by developing and sharing resources, information, and expertise with the community. A Hispanic-serving institution is defined in federal law as an accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institution with 25 percent or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent student enrollment. 

Illinois Equity in Attainment - ILEA

The college sets plans and engages in initiatives that address equity, diversity, and inclusion among students and employees. After comprehensively analyzing institutional data and identifying obstacles students face, ECC developed an Equity Plan containing seven strategies and annual growth targets. We will share progress updates publicly over five years. Review the ILEA Equity Plan for Elgin Community College 

Student Learning Outcomes Assessment

The college places student learning as a top priority; assessment becomes critical in helping the college fulfill its educational mission. The Assessment Department plans, organizes, supports, and documents assessment activities throughout the college. ECC works to improve student learning and strengthen its curriculum and services through collaboration between faculty. 

TRiO

TRiO programs are U.S. Department of Education grants designed to identify and provide services to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. The ECC TRiO programs serve low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-secondary programs. Learn about the Trio Programs at Elgin Community College

TRIUMPH 

Transforming and Impacting Undergraduate Men Pursuing Higher Education (TRIUMPH) is a retention and mentorship program for students who are often the first in their families to enroll in college and work toward a college degree or certificate. The program is designed to increase the number of men of color who graduate by providing increased student services, academic support, community service projects, and mentoring for male students of color. Learn about the Triumph Program at Elgin Community College

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

WIOA is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services. These services, funded through the Kane County Department of Employment and Education, help individuals succeed in the labor market and match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. Eligible youth ages 16 to 24 participate through our Future Workforce Leaders Program and Job Search Help Program. Learn more about the Workforce Development Division at Elgin Community College