Essex County College is an open-door public community college that is committed to providing quality educational programs and life-long learning activities at the most affordable cost. The College is open to students with a wide variety of backgrounds and abilities. ECC takes pride in the richness of its diversity and its nurturing atmosphere, which encourages people who otherwise might not aspire to higher education to enroll and excel. The main campus is located in the heart of University Heights in Newark, New Jersey. This urban campus covers three city blocks and houses high-tech classrooms with advanced teaching modalities and state-of-the-art laboratories. There is also the West Essex campus located in West Caldwell, New Jersey, which meets the educational and training needs of people who live and work in the western part of Essex County. ECC has also expanded to include the Police Academy in Cedar Grove, NJ. The Academy is dedicated to providing quality educational programs for those interested in criminal justice and to meet the life-long learning needs of public safety officers in Essex County.