What we know
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025- Students
- 1,282
Near the national median
National median 1,603
Is this campus your type?
Five questions match you to a college identity, then show where Mountain Empire Community College sits for you.
Take the fit quizCost & financial aid
Average net price
$7,931
What students paid per year on average after grants and scholarships. Your price depends on family income.
Published price vs. what students paid
- In-state tuition & fees
- $5,154
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $11,667
- Average net price
- $7,931
Students receiving Pell Grants
- Pell Grant recipients
- 44.4%
Free tools
Plan your costs for Mountain Empire Community College
- Can I afford it?Loan payment against what its graduates earn
- How much can I borrow?Federal loan limits and what is left to cover
- Will I get a Pell Grant?Estimate this year's award from your SAI
- What would I repay?Monthly payments on $27,000 of loans
Want it all in one PDF for up to three colleges? See a sample Aid & Loan Plan
Work out your cost
Plan the aid and loans
Aid & Loan Plan$14 once
A PDF that applies the 2026–27 federal aid rules to you and up to three colleges: Pell Grant, loan limits, the gap left and repayment.
Start with the Pell Grant estimator See a sample reportOutcomes
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
Students who return for a second year
Median earnings
$36,661
Former students who received federal aid
Explore these programs
Every field of study, with the colleges that offer it and what graduates earn.
Programs A–ZAcademics
Total students
1,282
Academic calendar
Semester
Carnegie classification
Community college
A Community College with a majority of non-traditionally aged students who transfer to 4-year colleges or seek vocational and technical training.
Colleges like Mountain Empire Community College
Danville Community CollegeDanville, VA- Virginia Highlands Community CollegeAbingdon, VA
- New River Community College-VirginiaDublin, VA
Location & details
Where the campus is, how far it sits from a major city, and other colleges within reach.
Mountain Empire Community CollegeBig Stone Gap, VA, United States
Distances are straight-line miles, not driving distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles.
Campus
Mountain Empire Community College
Big Stone Gap, VA, United States
- Public
- Community college
Distant town
In a smaller urban cluster away from a large metro area.
- City
- Suburb
- Town (this campus)
- Rural
Nearest major cityCharlotte, NC · about 155 mi
In the city250 mi
- Calendar
- Semester
- Website
- mecc.edu
Colleges nearby
University of Virginia's College at Wise13.6 miWise- Virginia Highlands Community College43.3 miAbingdon
Emory & Henry College51.7 miEmory
Southwest Virginia Community College54.1 miCedar Bluff
Bluefield University-Virginia87.6 miBluefield- Wytheville Community College93.5 miWytheville
Colleges nearby
- University of Virginia's College at Wise14 mi from Mountain Empire Community College
- Virginia Highlands Community College43 mi from Mountain Empire Community College
- Emory & Henry College52 mi from Mountain Empire Community College
- Southwest Virginia Community College54 mi from Mountain Empire Community College
Still have a question?
Ask about admissions, cost or campus life at Mountain Empire Community College. Answers come from CollegesRef data.
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Admit rate, net price and outcomes for Mountain Empire Community College and Danville Community College, side by side.
Compare with Danville Community CollegeFrequently asked questions
How much is Mountain Empire Community College tuition?
In-state tuition at Mountain Empire Community College is $5,154 and out-of-state tuition is $11,667 a year before financial aid in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. The average net price after grants is $7,931 a year.
What is the average net price at Mountain Empire Community College?
The average net price at Mountain Empire Community College, what first-time, full-time students paid after grants and scholarships, was $7,931 a year in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. Your own price depends on family income; the college's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
What is the graduation rate at Mountain Empire Community College?
44% of first-time, full-time students at Mountain Empire Community College graduate within six years (150% of normal time), according to the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
What colleges are similar to Mountain Empire Community College?
The closest matches are Danville Community College, Virginia Highlands Community College, and New River Community College, based on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile.
Sources
Last checked Nov 3, 2026
- Admissions
- CollegesRef archive
- Cost
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Outcomes
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Enrollment
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
Figures come from federal reporting. Text marked “CollegesRef editorial” is our own summary, and similar-college lists come from CollegesRef matching. How we source data
