Essex County College
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE (THE COLLEGE) IS AN OPEN ACCESS COMMUNITY COLLEGE THAT SERVES THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF STUDENTS THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, TRAINING, AND CONTINUING EDUCATION. THE COLLEGE IS DEDICATED TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND THE SUCCESS OF ITS STUDENTS.
- Income
- $106.0 million
- Spending
- $103.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- -16.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 63%
- Employees
- 1,175
- Volunteers
- 9
- Highest pay
- $314,822, director of facilities
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 61 out of 100. Higher than 43% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 27% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1568% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $28.7 million spent. SCHOLARSHIP AND FELLOWSHIPS - THE COLLEGE PARTICIPATES IN FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDED PROGRAMS. APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THE UNDUPLICATED STUDENT ENROLLMENT RECEIVED STUDENT AID ASSISTANCE DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE COLLEGE EXPENDED STUDENT ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF NEW JERSEY TUITION AID GRANT (TAG) AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY FUND (EOF) PROGRAMS IN THE AMOUNTS OF $4,590,471 AND $1,492,536, RESPECTIVELY, AND OTHER NEW JERSEY STUDENT ASSISTANCE GRANTS OF $1,525,127, FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF $7,608,134. THE COLLEGE ALSO EXPENDED STUDENT ASSISTANCE FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR PELL GRANTS OF $20,749,764, SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY (SEOG) GRANTS OF $360,000, FEDERAL WORK STUDY OF $419,427, AND OTHER VARIOUS GRANTS MAKE A GRAND TOTAL OF $33,042,034.
- $23.0 million spent. INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT - THIS PROGRAM IS TO SUPPORT THE INSTITUTION. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM THE COLLEGE CAN TRACK AND MANAGE ITS ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. MOST OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEE WAGES AND BENEFITS AS WELL AS OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES ARE CHARGED TO THIS PROGRAM. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 THIS PROGRAM REPRESENTED 23% OF THE COLLEGE TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES.
- $9.9 million spent. STUDENT SERVICES - THE COLLEGE PROVIDES SERVICES TO STUDENTS WHICH INCLUDE ENROLLMENT, AND STUDENT AFFAIRS. ENROLLMENT SERVICES PROVIDED AT THE COLLEGE ARE STUDENT WELCOME CENTER, ADMISSIONS, TRANSCRIPT EVALUATIONS, REGISTRATION, COUNSELING, ADD/DROP, CLASS WITHDRAWAL, GRADES POSTING, TRANSCRIPTS ISSUANCE, COUNTY CHARGEBACKS ISSUANCE, ENROLLMENT AND DEGREE VERIFICATION, VETERANS CERTIFICATIONS, STUDENT RECORD CHANGES, DEGREE AUDITS, GRADUATION CERTIFICATIONS, COMMENCEMENT INFORMATION, AND DIPLOMA ISSUANCE.STUDENT AFFAIRS SERVICES PROVIDED AT THE COLLEGE ARE STUDENT CLUBS ASSISTANCE AND MANAGEMENT, SCHOLARSHIP REQUEST REVIEW AND ATTRIBUTION, FOOD PANTRY, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, ATHLETICS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS ORGANIZATION.
- $9.4 million spent. INSTRUCTION - THE COLLEGE BELIEVES IN CREATING A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT FOSTERS HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR ACHIEVEMENT. THE COLLEGE IS COMMITTED TO RIGOROUS ACADEMIC STANDARDS, FACULTY EXCELLENCE, AND RESPONSIVE SUPPORT SERVICES THAT ENABLE STUDENTS TO REACH THEIR FULL ACADEMIC, PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL POTENTIAL. THE COLLEGE PROVIDES EXCELLENT PROGRAMS THAT UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY, DEMONSTRATE INNOVATION, AND UNDERGO EVALUATION TO ENSURE CONSISTENT AND OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE. THE COLLEGE OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS, ACADEMIC CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, AND CERTIFICATES OF COMPLETION. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE COLLEGE OFFERED 69 DEGREES AND CERTIFICATIONS, WHICH INCLUDED 398 COURSES. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025 EQUATED TO 9,715 (4,020 FULL TIME STUDENTS AND 5,692 PART-TIME STUDENTS) WHICH INCLUDED 8,244 DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS AND 1,468 NON-MATRICULATED STUDENTS. ACADEMIC SUPPORT - FOR OVER 45 YEARS, THE COLLEGE HAS BEEN EDUCATING AND ENRICHING THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS. OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, BUT OUR QUALITY ATTRACTS APPLICANTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE COLLEGE HAD 87 FULL TIME FACULTY DEVOTED TO THE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. PUBLIC SERVICE - IN A TYPICAL YEAR, THE COLLEGE'S COMMUNITY CONTINUING EDUCATION, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS SERVE EVEN MORE STUDENTS THAN THEIR TRADITIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMS. THAT'S BECAUSE THEIR EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS ARE DIVERSE AND GEARED TO ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. THE COLLEGE PARTNERS WITH THEIR COMMUNITY, LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE CLASSES GEARED TOWARDS PROVIDING PRACTICAL REAL-WORLD SKILLS THAT CAN BE PUT TO USE IMMEDIATELY. YOUTH PROGRAMS, HIGH SCHOOL INITIATIVES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND ADULT LITERACY COURSES ARE AMONG THE DOZENS OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THE COLLEGE OFFERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE COLLEGE HAD 3,671 NON-CREDIT ENROLLMENT, 169 STUDENTS IN CUSTOMIZED TRAINING, AND 90 TOTAL FACULTY DESIGNATED TO CONTINUING EDUCATION.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 2019.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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