Advanced Technology Institute vs. MECC

Comparable Facts

Compare Advanced Technology Institute in Virginia Beach, VA with Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Mountain Empire Community College is larger than Advanced Technology Institute based on total student enrollment (2,116 students vs. 415 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Advanced Technology Institute is located in Virginia Beach, VA (Large City setting); Mountain Empire Community College is in Big Stone Gap, VA (Rural Fringe setting).
• Advanced Technology Institute is a private, for-profit 2-year institution. Mountain Empire Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Advanced Technology Institute 12:1; Mountain Empire Community College 22:1.

Advanced Technology Institute vs. MECC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Advanced Technology Institute or MECC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Mountain Empire Community College than Advanced Technology Institute ($9,210 vs. $17,161).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mountain Empire Community College are 42.2% lower than at Advanced Technology Institute ($6,030 vs. $10,440).
• Advanced Technology Institute is 191% more expensive for in-state tuition than MECC (about $9,561 more per year; $14,568.00 vs. $5,007.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 27.3% higher at Advanced Technology Institute than at Mountain Empire Community College (about $3,123 more per year; $14,568.00 vs. $11,445.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Mountain Empire Community College than at Advanced Technology Institute (93% vs. 56%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Advanced Technology Institute students is 20.1% larger than aid received by Mountain Empire Community College students ($7,320 vs. $6,096).

Advanced Technology Institute vs. MECC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Advanced Technology Institute or MECC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between MECC and Advanced Technology Institute.

• Mountain Empire Community College reports an open admissions policy.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Advanced Technology Institute - Test-free; MECC - Open admission.

Advanced Technology Institute vs. MECC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Advanced Technology Institute and MECC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Graduates from Advanced Technology Institute earn a median of about $14,100 more per year than MECC graduates about ten years after starting college ($41,400 vs. $27,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.