Not-for-profit credit union headquartered in Fresno, California, serving over 377,000 members with $4.6B in assets across 12 central California counties.
Data compiled from public sources · Rating from CreditDoc methodology
Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) was founded on April 21, 1934, as Fresno Teachers Credit Union by nine educators during the Great Depression to provide affordable financial services to the educational community. The organization remained focused on serving teachers and school administrators until November 1981, when it changed its name to reflect expansion beyond educators to include other school employees, students, and select employer groups. Today, EECU ranks as the 87th largest credit union in the United States, the 16th largest in California, and the largest locally-based credit union in the central San Joaquin Valley.
EECU offers a comprehensive suite of financial products including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, home loans, consumer loans, credit cards, and online and mobile banking services. Members benefit from access to nationwide ATM networks and federally insured deposits up to $250,000 through the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). The credit union operates physical branches in Fresno, Clovis, Hanford, Madera, Merced, Reedley, Sanger, Selma, and Tulare, and launched a full-service mobile branch in July 2024 to serve underserved rural areas.
What distinguishes EECU is its member-owned structure with democratic governance—each member has equal voting rights for the board of directors and supervisory committee. The organization maintains a specific field of membership tied to educational institutions and selected employers across 12 counties (Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, and Tulare), creating a community-focused lending institution with deep roots in the San Joaquin Valley. 6 billion in assets as of September 30, 2024.
EECU is a legitimate, federally-regulated financial institution with NCUA oversight and deposit insurance protection. As a credit union rather than a commercial bank, it prioritizes member value over shareholder profits. However, membership eligibility is restricted to certificated or classified school employees, students, retirees, school board members in the 12 served counties, employees of specific partner organizations, or relatives of existing members—not open to the general public.
Educational offers 12 services including Checking accounts, Savings accounts, Certificate of deposit (CD) accounts, Individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Home loans and mortgages, and 7 more.
Educational is best suited for Teachers, administrators, and certificated/classified school employees in central California seeking member-owned banking, Educational institution employees and students in Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, or Tulare counties, Employees of Valley Children's Healthcare, St. Agnes Hospital (Fresno), City of Fresno, and other partner organizations seeking cooperative financial services, Consumers prioritizing member-owned, non-profit financial institutions over commercial banks.
Key strengths: Member-owned structure with equal voting rights and democratic governance for board selection; Federal deposit insurance through NCUA covering deposits up to $250,000; 90-year operational history demonstrating financial stability and institutional longevity. Areas to consider: Membership restricted to educational employees, students, school retirees, and select employer groups—not open to general public; Geographic limitation to central California (12 counties) limits accessibility for consumers outside the San Joaquin Valley region.
In the Banks category, comparable providers include Atlantic Union Bank, Financial Center, LendingClub. Each company has different strengths — compare services, pricing, and consumer complaint records to find the best fit.
CreditDoc Diagnosis
EECU is best for school employees and educational community members in central California who value member ownership, cooperative principles, and federally-insured banking with 90 years of institutional stability. The primary caveat is that membership requires affiliation with educational institutions or select partner employers in the 12-county service area—this is not a general-purpose bank for consumers outside that field of membership.
Atlantic Union Bank is a regional bank offering personal and business checking, savings, lending, and wealth management services across multiple locations.
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Financial Center First Credit Union is a federally insured credit union based in Indianapolis offering member-owned banking, loans, mortgages, and financial education.
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LendingClub is a digital marketplace bank offering personal loans up to $60,000, auto refinancing, and award-winning checking/savings accounts with no physical branches.
Best for: Borrowers with good-to-excellent credit seeking competitive personal loan rates, Credit card debt consolidators looking for fixed-rate alternatives
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