Mountain Empire Community College

www.mecc.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$4,620

2021 Average Net Price

$8,803

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

4.56%

Default Rate

2021 Enrolled Students

2,079

43.2% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

44.1%

120 Graduates

About

Mountain Empire Community College is a higher education institution located in Wise County, VA. In 2021, the most popular Associates Degree concentrations at Mountain Empire Community College were Liberal Arts & Sciences (154 degrees awarded), Registered Nursing (54 degrees), and Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration (16 degrees).

In 2021, 849 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Mountain Empire Community College. 66.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 33.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (816 degrees), 45.3 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, two or more races (18 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Mountain Empire Community College is $4,620, which is $−3,348 less than the national average for Associates Colleges ($7,968).

Associates Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional Associates Colleges

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Mountain Empire Community College is $4,620, which is $−3,348 less than the national average for Associates Colleges ($7,968).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $8,803.

In 2021, 55% of undergraduate students attending Mountain Empire Community College received financial aid through grants.

Tuition Costs

$4,620

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Mountain Empire Community College was $4,620. The cost of tuition at Mountain Empire Community College is $−3,348 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Associates Colleges ($7,968).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Mountain Empire Community College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$8,803

2021 Value

51.6%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Mountain Empire Community College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $8,803. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Mountain Empire Community College grew by 51.6%.

This chart compares the average net price of Mountain Empire Community College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$4,500

Room and Board

$1,500

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Mountain Empire Community College was of $4,500 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 73.1% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,500. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Mountain Empire Community College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

55%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

55% of undergraduate students at Mountain Empire Community College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a decline of 1.79% with respect to 2020, when 56% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Mountain Empire Community College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

4.56%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Mountain Empire Community College was 4.56%, which represents 86 out of the 1884 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Enrollment

Mountain Empire Community College had a total enrollment of 2,079 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Mountain Empire Community College is 899 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,180. This means that 43.2% of students enrolled at Mountain Empire Community College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Mountain Empire Community College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 92.8% White, 1.68% Two or More Races, 1.49% Black or African American, 1.15% Hispanic or Latino, 0.722% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, 0.625% Asian, and 0.0481% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Mountain Empire Community College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (57.4%), followed by White Male (34.7%) and Two or More Races Female (1.33%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

43.2%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Mountain Empire Community College in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 2,079 students. The full-time enrollment at Mountain Empire Community College is 899 and the part-time enrollment is 1,180. This means that 43.2% of students enrolled at Mountain Empire Community College are enrolled full-time compared with 32.5% at similar Associates Colleges.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Mountain Empire Community College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

68%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Mountain Empire Community College was 68%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Associates Colleges (60%), Mountain Empire Community College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Mountain Empire Community College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
1,930 enrolled students
Two or More Races
35 enrolled students
Black or African American
31 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Mountain Empire Community College is 92.8% White, 1.68% Two or More Races, 1.49% Black or African American, 1.15% Hispanic or Latino, 0.722% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, 0.625% Asian, and 0.0481% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Associates Colleges is 44.1% White, 26.8% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.5% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 28 students (1.35%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 279 more women than men received degrees from Mountain Empire Community College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Mountain Empire Community College is white (816 degrees awarded). There were 45.3 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, two or more races (18 degrees).

The most common Associates Degree concentration at Mountain Empire Community College is Liberal Arts & Sciences (154 degrees awarded), followed by Registered Nursing (54 degrees) and Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration (16 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Mountain Empire Community College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Natural Resources & Conservation (22 degrees awarded), Construction (25 degrees), and Engineering Technologies (50 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Registered nurses

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Mountain Empire Community College are Registered nurses (1,343,446 people), Medical & health services managers (151,812 people), Other managers (144,033 people), Nurse practitioners & nurse midwives (132,718 people), and Pharmacists (132,277 people).

The most specialized majors at Mountain Empire Community College in 2021 are Natural Resources & Conservation (22 degrees awarded), Construction (25 degrees), Engineering Technologies (50 degrees), Liberal Arts & Humanities (280 degrees), and Health (350 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Mountain Empire Community College are Surgeons, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, and Physicians

The most specialized majors at Mountain Empire Community College are Natural Resources & Conservation (22 degrees awarded), Construction (25 degrees), Engineering Technologies (50 degrees), Liberal Arts & Humanities (280 degrees), and Health (350 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Mountain Empire Community College are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (1,480,070 people), Elementary & secondary schools (337,478 people), Outpatient care centers (225,954 people), Offices of physicians (200,001 people), and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (179,972 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Mountain Empire Community College.

Most Common (2021)

Liberal Arts & Sciences
154 degree-majors awarded
Registered Nursing
54 degree-majors awarded
Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Administration
16 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common associates degree concentration at Mountain Empire Community College was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 154 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from associates degree programs at Mountain Empire Community College according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

285

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

564

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 285 degrees were awarded to men at Mountain Empire Community College, which is 0.505 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (564).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Mountain Empire Community College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 51 degrees were awarded to men at Mountain Empire Community College in Liberal Arts & Sciences, which is 0.495 times less than the 103 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 130 degrees were awarded to men at Mountain Empire Community College in Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, & Treatment Professions, which is 10.8 times more than the 12 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

26%

100% Completion Time

40%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 26% of students graduating from Mountain Empire Community College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 40% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 42% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Associates Colleges Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Black or African American Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Mountain Empire Community College is Female and Black or African American (100% graduation rate). Across all Associates Colleges, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
816 degrees awarded
Two or More Races
18 degrees awarded
Black or African American
8 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Mountain Empire Community College is white (816 degrees awarded). There were 45.3 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, two or more races (18 degrees).

0% of degree recipients (0 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
541 degrees awarded
White Male
275 degrees awarded
Two or More Races Female
16 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Mountain Empire Community College is white female (541 degrees awarded). There were 1.97 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (275 degrees).

Operations

Mountain Empire Community College has an endowment valued at nearly $30.6M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 18.2k (0.0596%) compared to the 1.65% average return (87.6k on 5.29M) across all Associates Colleges.

In 2021, Mountain Empire Community College had a total salary expenditure of 23.2M. Mountain Empire Community College employs 13 Instructors, 13 Assistant professors and 10 Professors. Most academics at Mountain Empire Community College are Male Instructor (8), Female Assistant professor (8), and Female Professor (6).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Mountain Empire Community College are: Management, with 36 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 22 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 12 employees.

Endowment

$30.6M

2021 Endowment

8.51%

growth from 2020

Mountain Empire Community College has an endowment valued at about $30.6M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Mountain Empire Community College grew 8.51% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $25.3M higher than than the median endowment of Associates Colleges according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Mountain Empire Community College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Associates Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$1.73M - Federal
$397k - State
$61.4k - Local

As of 2021, Mountain Empire Community College received $1.73M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $397k from state grants and contracts, and $61.4k from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$8.47M

2021 Salaries

1.77%

growth from 2020

In 2021, Mountain Empire Community College paid a median of $8.47M in salaries, which represents 36.5% of their overall expenditure ($23.2M) and a 1.77% growth from the previous year.

The median for similar Associates Colleges is 16.4M (41.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$2.71M

Instructional Salaries

Number of Employees

In 2021, Mountain Empire Community College paid a total of $2.71M to 43 employees working as instructors, which represents 32% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $5.1M (31.2%) for similar Associates Colleges.

Occupations by Share

Instructor

Most Common Instructor

13 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

36 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Mountain Empire Community College were Instructor with 13 employees, Assistant professor with 13 employees, and Professor with 10 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Mountain Empire Community College were Management with 36 employees, Office and Administrative Support with 22 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 12 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Instructor
Female Assistant professor
Female Professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Mountain Empire Community College was Male Instructor with 8 employees, Female Assistant professor with 8 employees, and Female Professor with 6 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Mountain Empire Community College.