BRCC vs. MECC

Deciding between Blue Ridge Community College and Mountain Empire Community College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • BRCC Weyers Cave, VA
  • MECC Big Stone Gap, VA
  • Setting
  • BRCC Distant Rural
  • MECC Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • BRCC 3,790
  • MECC 2,116
  • Type
  • BRCC Public 2 Year
  • MECC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • BRCC
  • MECC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • BRCC -
  • MECC -
  • Status
  • BRCC Non-profit
  • MECC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • BRCC
  • MECC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • BRCC $5,646
  • MECC $5,007
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • BRCC $12,084
  • MECC $11,445
  • Room & Board
  • BRCC $9,366
  • MECC $6,030
  • Average Net Price
  • BRCC $14,191
  • MECC $9,210
  • Average Grant Aid
  • BRCC $6,552
  • MECC $6,096
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • BRCC 64%
  • MECC 93%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • BRCC -
  • MECC -
  • Admitted
  • BRCC -
  • MECC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • BRCC Open
  • MECC Open
  • Enrolled
  • BRCC Open
  • MECC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • BRCC
  • MECC
  • Typical ACT score
  • BRCC
  • MECC
  • Average High School GPA
  • BRCC -
  • MECC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • BRCC -
  • MECC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • BRCC Unavailable
  • MECC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • BRCC
  • MECC
  • ACT Range
  • BRCC
  • MECC
  • SAT Range
  • BRCC
  • MECC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • BRCC Open admission
  • MECC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • BRCC
  • MECC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • BRCC 21:1
  • MECC 22:1
  • Popular Majors
  • BRCC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (54%)
    • Health Professions (15%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Transportation and Materials Moving (5%)
    • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • MECC
    • Health Professions (47%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Engineering Technology (8%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • BRCC -
  • MECC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • BRCC $35,800
  • MECC $27,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • BRCC 42%
  • MECC -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • BRCC $8,500
  • MECC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • BRCC $87
  • MECC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • BRCC 40%
  • MECC 39%
  • % Women
  • BRCC 60%
  • MECC 61%
  • Racial Diversity
  • BRCC Low
  • MECC Extremely Low
  • HBCU
  • BRCC No
  • MECC No
  • % White
  • BRCC 78%
  • MECC 95%
  • % Asian
  • BRCC 2%
  • MECC 0%
  • % Black
  • BRCC 7%
  • MECC 2%
  • % Hispanic
  • BRCC 9%
  • MECC 1%
  • % Native American
  • BRCC 1%
  • MECC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • BRCC 0%
  • MECC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • BRCC 3%
  • MECC 1%
  • % International
  • BRCC 0%
  • MECC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • BRCC 1%
  • MECC 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • BRCC 99%
  • MECC 98%
  • % Out-of-State
  • BRCC 1%
  • MECC 2%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • BRCC No
  • MECC No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • BRCC No
  • MECC No
  • Meal Plan
  • BRCC No
  • MECC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • BRCC No
  • MECC Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • BRCC No
  • MECC No

Comparable Facts

Compare Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, VA with Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Blue Ridge Community College is larger than MECC based on total student enrollment (3,790 students vs. 2,116 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Blue Ridge Community College is located in Weyers Cave, VA (Distant Rural setting); Mountain Empire Community College is in Big Stone Gap, VA (Rural Fringe setting).
  • Blue Ridge Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Mountain Empire Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Blue Ridge Community College 21:1; Mountain Empire Community College 22:1.

BRCC vs. MECC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BRCC 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 BRCC ($9,210 vs. $14,191).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mountain Empire Community College are 35.6% lower than at Blue Ridge Community College ($6,030 vs. $9,366).
  • Blue Ridge Community College is 12.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than MECC (about $639 more per year; $5,646.00 vs. $5,007.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 5.6% higher at BRCC than at Mountain Empire Community College (about $639 more per year; $12,084.00 vs. $11,445.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Mountain Empire Community College than at Blue Ridge Community College (93% vs. 64%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Blue Ridge Community College students is 7.5% larger than aid received by Mountain Empire Community College students ($6,552 vs. $6,096).

BRCC vs. MECC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BRCC 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 BRCC.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: BRCC - Open admission; MECC - Open admission.

BRCC vs. MECC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for BRCC 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 Blue Ridge Community College earn a median of about $8,500 more per year than MECC graduates about ten years after starting college ($35,800 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.