More selective than 88% of Oklahoma colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $18,459. College Scorecard.
Higher than 38% of Oklahoma colleges we cover and 18% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 36% of Oklahoma colleges we cover and 25% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
ECU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,161 applicants, East Central University admitted 761 and 370 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 900–1120 on the SAT or 17–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
ECU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Oklahoma residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What ECU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of East Central University took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Oklahoma. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $8,151 | $36,598 | 2.9 years |
| $30–48k | $6,402 | $28,745 | 2.3 years |
| $48–75k | $7,155 | $32,126 | 2.6 years |
| $75–110k | $12,154 | $54,571 | 4.4 years |
| $110k+ | $10,702 | $48,052 | 3.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (19% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($44,962) minus $32,429 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OK (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,533 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
ECU majors, earnings & careers
East Central University offers 35 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Science & Math · 4
- Education · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Business & Finance · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at ECU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $78,578 | $20,200 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $67,666 | $20,200 |
| Accounting | $66,711 | $15,500 |
| Social Work | $59,384 | $26,219 |
| Business Administration | $52,488 | $21,200 |
| Criminal Justice | $51,120 | $21,553 |
| Biology | $49,124 | $22,750 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $46,698 | $21,200 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting$66,711
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology$49,124
- Business Administration$52,488
- Chemistry—
- Communications$36,280
- Computer and Information Sciences$67,666
- Criminal Justice$51,120
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$41,552
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English$40,890
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Geography—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Services$44,238
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$46,698
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Legal Support Services—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$78,578
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$42,253
- Public Health—
- Social Work$59,384
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Ada
2 bedrooms $982.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 4 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Pontotoc County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Pontotoc County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare ECU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Oklahoma by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Central University | 58% | $8,683 | 34% | $44,962 | This school |
| Cameron University | — | $10,912 | 31% | $40,118 | |
| Rogers State University | — | $15,314 | 29% | $43,166 | |
| Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology | — | $10,999 | 42% | $45,634 | |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State University | 65% | $10,104 | 30% | $44,358 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
East Central University would cost you $2,229 less per year than Cameron University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at East Central University, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$2,974).
- East Central University gives aided families $826 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Oklahoma resident | ECU | Cameron University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,032 | $7,095 | +$937 |
| Books & supplies | $1,590 | $1,000 | +$590 |
| Housing & meals | $7,752 | $8,883 | −$1,131 |
| Personal & travel | $4,066 | $7,040 | −$2,974 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,981 | −$4,156 | +$1,175 |
| Sticker price | $18,459 | $19,862 | −$1,403 |
| Average grants | −$9,776 | −$8,950 | −$826 |
| You pay | $8,683 | $10,912 | −$2,229 |
“+” means ECU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about ECU
What is the ECU acceptance rate?
East Central University accepts 58% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 761 of 1,161 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 900–1120 on the SAT or 17–24 on the ACT.
How much does East Central University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $18,459 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $8,683 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $8,151 and families earning $110k+ pay $10,702.
How much do ECU graduates earn?
Former East Central University students earn a median $44,962 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the ECU graduation rate?
34% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 61% return for their second year.
How long does a ECU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at East Central University costs about $32,126 after grants ($7,155 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $44,962 ten years after starting, $12,533 more than high school graduates in Oklahoma ($32,429), so the cost is repaid in 2.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “East Central University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/east-central-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).