Is there a comma before etc?

Yes, there is a comma before etc. The “etc.” abbreviation for “et cetera” means “and more things,” so it goes after an Oxford comma that joins a final item to a list. (You don’t need “and” before “etc.,” though.) Examples of a comma before “etc.” include the following: 

 

  • The doctor told Ray to avoid jogging, weightlifting, swimming, etc.
  • Amanda collects acoustic string instruments (banjos, mandolins, etc.) and plays in a bluegrass band. 

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can instantly show you where you need commas in different forms of writing.