DSLCC vs. MECC

Deciding between Mountain Gateway 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
  • DSLCC Clifton Forge, VA
  • MECC Big Stone Gap, VA
  • Setting
  • DSLCC Rural Fringe
  • MECC Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • DSLCC 989
  • MECC 2,116
  • Type
  • DSLCC Public 2 Year
  • MECC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • DSLCC
  • MECC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • DSLCC -
  • MECC -
  • Status
  • DSLCC Non-profit
  • MECC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • DSLCC
  • MECC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • DSLCC $5,022
  • MECC $5,007
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • DSLCC $11,460
  • MECC $11,445
  • Room & Board
  • DSLCC $8,300
  • MECC $6,030
  • Average Net Price
  • DSLCC $5,728
  • MECC $9,210
  • Average Grant Aid
  • DSLCC $6,487
  • MECC $6,096
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • DSLCC 88%
  • MECC 93%

  • Admissions

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

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • DSLCC 17:1
  • MECC 22:1
  • Popular Majors
  • DSLCC
    • Health Professions (43%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (17%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
    • Engineering Technology (8%)
    • Business (7%)
  • MECC
    • Health Professions (47%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Engineering Technology (8%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • DSLCC -
  • MECC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • DSLCC $30,000
  • MECC $27,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • DSLCC 50%
  • MECC -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • DSLCC $8,884
  • MECC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • DSLCC $91
  • MECC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • DSLCC 38%
  • MECC 39%
  • % Women
  • DSLCC 62%
  • MECC 61%
  • Racial Diversity
  • DSLCC Very Low
  • MECC Extremely Low
  • HBCU
  • DSLCC No
  • MECC No
  • % White
  • DSLCC 86%
  • MECC 95%
  • % Asian
  • DSLCC 1%
  • MECC 0%
  • % Black
  • DSLCC 6%
  • MECC 2%
  • % Hispanic
  • DSLCC 2%
  • MECC 1%
  • % Native American
  • DSLCC 1%
  • MECC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • DSLCC 0%
  • MECC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • DSLCC 3%
  • MECC 1%
  • % International
  • DSLCC 0%
  • MECC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • DSLCC 1%
  • MECC 0%

  • Students

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

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Mountain Gateway Community College in Clifton Forge, 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 DSLCC based on total student enrollment (2,116 students vs. 989 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Mountain Gateway Community College is located in Clifton Forge, VA (Rural Fringe setting); Mountain Empire Community College is in Big Stone Gap, VA (Rural Fringe setting).
  • Mountain Gateway 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: Mountain Gateway Community College 17:1; Mountain Empire Community College 22:1.

DSLCC vs. MECC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, DSLCC 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 Gateway Community College than MECC ($5,728 vs. $9,210).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mountain Empire Community College are 27.3% lower than at Mountain Gateway Community College ($6,030 vs. $8,300).
  • Mountain Gateway Community College is 0.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than MECC (about $15 more per year; $5,022.00 vs. $5,007.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 0.1% higher at DSLCC than at Mountain Empire Community College (about $15 more per year; $11,460.00 vs. $11,445.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Mountain Empire Community College than at Mountain Gateway Community College (93% vs. 88%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mountain Gateway Community College students is 6.4% larger than aid received by Mountain Empire Community College students ($6,487 vs. $6,096).

DSLCC vs. MECC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, DSLCC 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 DSLCC.

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

DSLCC vs. MECC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for DSLCC 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 Mountain Gateway Community College earn a median of about $2,700 more per year than MECC graduates about ten years after starting college ($30,000 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.