MECC vs. Patrick Henry

Deciding between Mountain Empire Community College and Patrick & Henry 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
  • MECC Big Stone Gap, VA
  • Patrick Henry Martinsville, VA
  • Setting
  • MECC Rural Fringe
  • Patrick Henry Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • MECC 2,116
  • Patrick Henry 1,908
  • Type
  • MECC Public 2 Year
  • Patrick Henry Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • MECC
  • Patrick Henry
  • Religious Affiliation
  • MECC -
  • Patrick Henry -
  • Status
  • MECC Non-profit
  • Patrick Henry Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • MECC
  • Patrick Henry

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • MECC $5,007
  • Patrick Henry $5,002
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • MECC $11,445
  • Patrick Henry $11,440
  • Room & Board
  • MECC $6,030
  • Patrick Henry $9,462
  • Average Net Price
  • MECC $9,210
  • Patrick Henry $4,446
  • Average Grant Aid
  • MECC $6,096
  • Patrick Henry $7,449
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • MECC 93%
  • Patrick Henry 68%

  • Admissions

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

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • MECC 22:1
  • Patrick Henry 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • MECC
    • Health Professions (47%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Engineering Technology (8%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (3%)
  • Patrick Henry
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (33%)
    • Health Professions (20%)
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (11%)
    • Business (9%)
    • Engineering Technology (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • MECC -
  • Patrick Henry -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • MECC $27,300
  • Patrick Henry $26,700
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • MECC -
  • Patrick Henry -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • MECC N/A
  • Patrick Henry N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • MECC N/A
  • Patrick Henry N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • MECC 39%
  • Patrick Henry 45%
  • % Women
  • MECC 61%
  • Patrick Henry 55%
  • Racial Diversity
  • MECC Extremely Low
  • Patrick Henry Medium
  • HBCU
  • MECC No
  • Patrick Henry No
  • % White
  • MECC 95%
  • Patrick Henry 66%
  • % Asian
  • MECC 0%
  • Patrick Henry 0%
  • % Black
  • MECC 2%
  • Patrick Henry 24%
  • % Hispanic
  • MECC 1%
  • Patrick Henry 6%
  • % Native American
  • MECC 0%
  • Patrick Henry 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • MECC 0%
  • Patrick Henry 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • MECC 1%
  • Patrick Henry 2%
  • % International
  • MECC 0%
  • Patrick Henry 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • MECC 0%
  • Patrick Henry 0%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • MECC 98%
  • Patrick Henry 93%
  • % Out-of-State
  • MECC 2%
  • Patrick Henry 7%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, VA with Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Mountain Empire Community College is larger than Patrick Henry based on total student enrollment (2,116 students vs. 1,908 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Mountain Empire Community College is located in Big Stone Gap, VA (Rural Fringe setting); Patrick & Henry Community College is in Martinsville, VA (Rural Fringe setting).
  • Mountain Empire Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Patrick & Henry Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Mountain Empire Community College 22:1; Patrick & Henry Community College 18:1.

MECC vs. Patrick Henry Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MECC or Patrick Henry? 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 Patrick & Henry Community College than MECC ($4,446 vs. $9,210).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mountain Empire Community College are 36.3% lower than at Patrick & Henry Community College ($6,030 vs. $9,462).
  • Mountain Empire Community College is 0.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than Patrick Henry (about $5 more per year; $5,007.00 vs. $5,002.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 0% higher at MECC than at Patrick & Henry Community College (about $5 more per year; $11,445.00 vs. $11,440.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Mountain Empire Community College than at Patrick & Henry Community College (93% vs. 68%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Patrick & Henry Community College students is 22.2% larger than aid received by Mountain Empire Community College students ($7,449 vs. $6,096).

MECC vs. Patrick Henry Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MECC or Patrick Henry? 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 Patrick Henry and MECC.

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

MECC vs. Patrick Henry Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for MECC and Patrick Henry? 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 Empire Community College earn a median of about $600 more per year than Patrick Henry graduates about ten years after starting college ($27,300 vs. $26,700), 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.