MECC vs. Richard Bland

Deciding between Mountain Empire Community College and Richard Bland 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
  • Richard Bland South Prince George, VA
  • Setting
  • MECC Rural Fringe
  • Richard Bland Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • MECC 2,116
  • Richard Bland 2,788
  • Type
  • MECC Public 2 Year
  • Richard Bland Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • MECC
  • Richard Bland
  • Religious Affiliation
  • MECC -
  • Richard Bland -
  • Status
  • MECC Non-profit
  • Richard Bland Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • MECC
  • Richard Bland

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • MECC $5,007
  • Richard Bland $9,090
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • MECC $11,445
  • Richard Bland $14,970
  • Room & Board
  • MECC $6,030
  • Richard Bland $12,142
  • Average Net Price
  • MECC $9,210
  • Richard Bland $12,946
  • Average Grant Aid
  • MECC $6,096
  • Richard Bland $10,955
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • MECC 93%
  • Richard Bland 79%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • MECC -
  • Richard Bland 1,602
  • Admitted
  • MECC -
  • Richard Bland 1,430
  • Acceptance Rate
  • MECC Open
  • Richard Bland 89.3%
  • Enrolled
  • MECC Open
  • Richard Bland 33.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • MECC
  • Richard Bland
  • Typical ACT score
  • MECC
  • Richard Bland
  • Average High School GPA
  • MECC -
  • Richard Bland 2.63
  • Typical High School Grades
  • MECC -
  • Richard Bland B-
  • Admissions Standards
  • MECC Unavailable
  • Richard Bland Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • MECC
  • Richard Bland
  • ACT Range
  • MECC
  • Richard Bland
  • SAT Range
  • MECC
  • Richard Bland
  • Submit Test Scores
  • MECC Open admission
  • Richard Bland Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • MECC
  • Richard Bland Aug 30, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • MECC 22:1
  • Richard Bland 17:1
  • Popular Majors
  • MECC
    • Health Professions (47%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Engineering Technology (8%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (3%)
  • Richard Bland
    • Physical Sciences (100%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • MECC -
  • Richard Bland -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • MECC $27,300
  • Richard Bland $38,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • MECC -
  • Richard Bland 37%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • MECC N/A
  • Richard Bland $10,810
  • Median Loan Payment
  • MECC N/A
  • Richard Bland $111

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • MECC 39%
  • Richard Bland 43%
  • % Women
  • MECC 61%
  • Richard Bland 57%
  • Racial Diversity
  • MECC Extremely Low
  • Richard Bland High
  • HBCU
  • MECC No
  • Richard Bland No
  • % White
  • MECC 95%
  • Richard Bland 41%
  • % Asian
  • MECC 0%
  • Richard Bland 1%
  • % Black
  • MECC 2%
  • Richard Bland 44%
  • % Hispanic
  • MECC 1%
  • Richard Bland 2%
  • % Native American
  • MECC 0%
  • Richard Bland 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • MECC 0%
  • Richard Bland 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • MECC 1%
  • Richard Bland 6%
  • % International
  • MECC 0%
  • Richard Bland 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • MECC 0%
  • Richard Bland 5%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • MECC 98%
  • Richard Bland 94%
  • % Out-of-State
  • MECC 2%
  • Richard Bland 4%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

Compare Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, VA with Richard Bland College in South Prince George, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Richard Bland College is larger than MECC based on total student enrollment (2,788 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); Richard Bland College is in South Prince George, VA (Rural Fringe setting).
  • Mountain Empire Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Richard Bland College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Mountain Empire Community College 22:1; Richard Bland College 17:1.

MECC vs. Richard Bland Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MECC or Richard Bland? 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 Richard Bland ($9,210 vs. $12,946).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mountain Empire Community College are 50.3% lower than at Richard Bland College ($6,030 vs. $12,142).
  • Richard Bland College is 81.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than MECC (about $4,083 more per year; $9,090.00 vs. $5,007.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 30.8% higher at Richard Bland than at Mountain Empire Community College (about $3,525 more per year; $14,970.00 vs. $11,445.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Mountain Empire Community College than at Richard Bland College (93% vs. 79%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Richard Bland College students is 79.7% larger than aid received by Mountain Empire Community College students ($10,955 vs. $6,096).

MECC vs. Richard Bland Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MECC or Richard Bland? 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 Richard Bland and MECC.

  • Mountain Empire Community College reports an open admissions policy.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: MECC - Open admission; Richard Bland - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Richard Bland Aug 30, 2027.

MECC vs. Richard Bland Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for MECC and Richard Bland? 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 Richard Bland College earn a median of about $11,000 more per year than MECC graduates about ten years after starting college ($38,300 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.