MECC vs. Southwest Virginia

Deciding between Mountain Empire Community College and Southwest 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
  • Southwest Virginia Cedar Bluff, VA
  • Setting
  • MECC Rural Fringe
  • Southwest Virginia Distant Rural
  • Total enrollment
  • MECC 2,116
  • Southwest Virginia 2,364
  • Type
  • MECC Public 2 Year
  • Southwest Virginia Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • MECC
  • Southwest Virginia
  • Religious Affiliation
  • MECC -
  • Southwest Virginia -
  • Status
  • MECC Non-profit
  • Southwest Virginia Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • MECC
  • Southwest Virginia

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • MECC $5,007
  • Southwest Virginia $5,075
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • MECC $11,445
  • Southwest Virginia $11,513
  • Room & Board
  • MECC $6,030
  • Southwest Virginia $9,000
  • Average Net Price
  • MECC $9,210
  • Southwest Virginia $6,275
  • Average Grant Aid
  • MECC $6,096
  • Southwest Virginia $7,232
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • MECC 93%
  • Southwest Virginia 94%

  • Admissions

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

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • MECC 22:1
  • Southwest Virginia 20:1
  • Popular Majors
  • MECC
    • Health Professions (47%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Engineering Technology (8%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (3%)
  • Southwest Virginia
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (36%)
    • Health Professions (27%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (17%)
    • Construction Trades (7%)
    • Engineering Technology (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • MECC -
  • Southwest Virginia -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • MECC $27,300
  • Southwest Virginia $29,100
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • MECC -
  • Southwest Virginia -
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • MECC N/A
  • Southwest Virginia N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • MECC N/A
  • Southwest Virginia N/A

  • Diversity

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

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • MECC 98%
  • Southwest Virginia 88%
  • % Out-of-State
  • MECC 2%
  • Southwest Virginia 12%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

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

Southwest Virginia Community College is larger than MECC based on total student enrollment (2,364 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); Southwest Virginia Community College is in Cedar Bluff, VA (Distant Rural setting).
  • Mountain Empire Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Southwest Virginia Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Mountain Empire Community College 22:1; Southwest Virginia Community College 20:1.

MECC vs. Southwest Virginia Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MECC or Southwest Virginia? 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 Southwest Virginia Community College than MECC ($6,275 vs. $9,210).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mountain Empire Community College are 33% lower than at Southwest Virginia Community College ($6,030 vs. $9,000).
  • Southwest Virginia Community College is 1.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than MECC (about $68 more per year; $5,075.00 vs. $5,007.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 0.6% higher at Southwest Virginia than at Mountain Empire Community College (about $68 more per year; $11,513.00 vs. $11,445.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Southwest Virginia Community College than at Mountain Empire Community College (94% vs. 93%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Southwest Virginia Community College students is 18.6% larger than aid received by Mountain Empire Community College students ($7,232 vs. $6,096).

MECC vs. Southwest Virginia Admissions comparison

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

MECC vs. Southwest Virginia Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for MECC and Southwest Virginia? 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 Southwest Virginia Community College earn a median of about $1,800 more per year than MECC graduates about ten years after starting college ($29,100 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.