<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-10-10</periodOfReport><notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001065591</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>EVCI CAREER COLLEGES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>EVCI</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001258870</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>AQUAMARINE FUND INC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
<reportingOwnerAddress><rptOwnerStreet1>Citco Building Wickhams Cay</rptOwnerStreet1><rptOwnerStreet2>P.O. Box 662, Road Town</rptOwnerStreet2><rptOwnerCity>Tortola, B. Virgin Islands</rptOwnerCity><rptOwnerState>D8</rptOwnerState><rptOwnerZipCode/></reportingOwnerAddress><reportingOwnerRelationship><isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001119281</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>TILSON GROWTH FUND LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1165 FIFTH AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 4C</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10029</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-10</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>P</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>206737</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>2.20</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>678435</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Whitney Tilson</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-10</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>P</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>181517</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>2.20</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>596611</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Tilson Growth Fund, LP</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-10</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>P</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>181517</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>2.20</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>596611</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Tilson Capital Partners, LLC                                                                     </value><footnoteId id="F3"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-10</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>P</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>25220</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>2.20</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>81824</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Tilson Offshore Fund, Ltd.</value><footnoteId id="F4"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-10-10</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>P</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>25220</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>2.20</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>81824</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Tilson Offshore Partners, LLC</value><footnoteId id="F5"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Whitney Tilson
1165 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4C
New York, NY  10029</footnote><footnote id="F2">Tilson Growth Fund, LP
1165 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4C
New York, NY  10029</footnote><footnote id="F3">Tilson Capital Partners, LLC
1165 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4C
New York, NY  10029</footnote><footnote id="F4">Tilson Offshore Fund Ltd.
c/o Walkers SPV Ltd.
P.O. Box 908 GT
Walkers House
Mary Street, George Town
Cayman Islands</footnote><footnote id="F5">Tilson Offshore Partners, LLC
1165 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4C
New York, NY  10029</footnote></footnotes><remarks>(6) The reporting persons listed below, including Aquamarine Fund, Inc., are filing this form jointly.  The reporting persons are no longer part of a group and are no longer subject to Section 16.</remarks><ownerSignature><signatureName>Simon Gustav Spier, Director, for Aquamarine Fund, Inc.</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-15</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>Simon Gustav Spier, President, for Aquamarine Investment Management Corp.</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-15</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>Guy Spier, Managing Member, for Aquamarine, LLC</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-15</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>Whitney Tilson, for Aquamarine, LLC</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-15</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>Whitney Tilson, Managing Member, for Tilson Growth Fund, LP by Tilson Capital Partners, LLC</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-15</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>Whitney Tilson, Managing Member, for Tilson Capital Partners, LLC</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-15</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>Whitney Tilson, Director, for Tilson Offshore Fund Ltd.</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-15</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>Whitney Tilson, Managing Member, for Tilson Offshore Partners, LLC</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-10-15</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

