Erie County Community College

Last updated
Erie County Community College
Erie County Community College logo 2025.png
TypePublic community college
Location
Erie
,
Pennsylvania
,
United States
Website www.ec3pa.edu

Erie County Community College is a public community college in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Locals in Erie County established a nonprofit called Empower Erie in 2016 to explore the possibility of opening a community college in the region. The group included co-founder Ron DiNicola, who would eventually serve as the first Chair of the Board of Trustees, and advocated for this goal for about seven years. [1] The college, nicknamed EC3, opened in Fall 2021 with 231 students using rented classrooms in a private high school. [2] While the college waited for the results of its accreditation application, students who were residents in Erie County received free tuition thanks to federal COVID relief funds. [3]

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education acknowledged the institution's application for accreditation in November 2024 in anticipation of an on-site evaluation in the 2026-2027 academic year. [4]

References

  1. ↑ Rao, A. J. "Ron DiNicola, longtime advocate of Erie County Community College, to step down from board of trustees". Erie Times-News. July 28, 2022.
  2. ↑ Weissman, Sara. "A New Community College Sees Growth and Challenges", Insider Higher Ed, October 10, 2024.
  3. ↑ Myers, Valerie. "Erie County Community College, now a year old, has been 'a blessing' for students". Erie Times-News. August 22, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Accreditation". Erie County Community College. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
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