MECC vs. PVCC

Deciding between Mountain Empire Community College and Piedmont Virginia 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
  • PVCC Charlottesville, VA
  • Setting
  • MECC Rural Fringe
  • PVCC Small Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • MECC 2,116
  • PVCC 5,263
  • Type
  • MECC Public 2 Year
  • PVCC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • MECC
  • PVCC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • MECC -
  • PVCC -
  • Status
  • MECC Non-profit
  • PVCC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • MECC
  • PVCC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • MECC $5,007
  • PVCC $5,072
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • MECC $11,445
  • PVCC $11,510
  • Room & Board
  • MECC $6,030
  • PVCC $10,665
  • Average Net Price
  • MECC $9,210
  • PVCC $6,710
  • Average Grant Aid
  • MECC $6,096
  • PVCC $6,471
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • MECC 93%
  • PVCC 64%

  • Admissions

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

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • MECC 22:1
  • PVCC 21:1
  • Popular Majors
  • MECC
    • Health Professions (47%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Engineering Technology (8%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (3%)
  • PVCC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (35%)
    • Health Professions (22%)
    • Business (15%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
    • Education (4%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • MECC -
  • PVCC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • MECC $27,300
  • PVCC $33,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • MECC -
  • PVCC 40%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • MECC N/A
  • PVCC $7,509
  • Median Loan Payment
  • MECC N/A
  • PVCC $77

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • MECC 39%
  • PVCC 42%
  • % Women
  • MECC 61%
  • PVCC 58%
  • Racial Diversity
  • MECC Extremely Low
  • PVCC Medium
  • HBCU
  • MECC No
  • PVCC No
  • % White
  • MECC 95%
  • PVCC 68%
  • % Asian
  • MECC 0%
  • PVCC 4%
  • % Black
  • MECC 2%
  • PVCC 15%
  • % Hispanic
  • MECC 1%
  • PVCC 7%
  • % Native American
  • MECC 0%
  • PVCC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • MECC 0%
  • PVCC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • MECC 1%
  • PVCC 4%
  • % International
  • MECC 0%
  • PVCC 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • MECC 0%
  • PVCC 1%

  • Students

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

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

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

Piedmont Virginia Community College is larger than MECC based on total student enrollment (5,263 students vs. 2,116 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Mountain Empire Community College is located in Big Stone Gap, VA (Rural Fringe setting); Piedmont Virginia Community College is in Charlottesville, VA (Small Suburban setting).
  • Mountain Empire Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Piedmont Virginia Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Mountain Empire Community College 22:1; Piedmont Virginia Community College 21:1.

MECC vs. PVCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MECC or PVCC? 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 Piedmont Virginia Community College than MECC ($6,710 vs. $9,210).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mountain Empire Community College are 43.5% lower than at Piedmont Virginia Community College ($6,030 vs. $10,665).
  • Piedmont Virginia Community College is 1.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than MECC (about $65 more per year; $5,072.00 vs. $5,007.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 0.6% higher at PVCC than at Mountain Empire Community College (about $65 more per year; $11,510.00 vs. $11,445.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Mountain Empire Community College than at Piedmont Virginia Community College (93% vs. 64%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Piedmont Virginia Community College students is 6.2% larger than aid received by Mountain Empire Community College students ($6,471 vs. $6,096).

MECC vs. PVCC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MECC or PVCC? 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 PVCC 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; PVCC - Open admission.

MECC vs. PVCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for MECC and PVCC? 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 Piedmont Virginia Community College earn a median of about $6,000 more per year than MECC graduates about ten years after starting college ($33,300 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.