Mountain Empire Community College

3441 Mountain Empire Road
Big Stone Gap, VA 24219
Top Ranked (2024): View Rankings
  • Mountain Empire Community College is a two-year college serving residents of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson counties, as well as the City of Norton. The College, one of twenty-three in the Virginia Community College System, operates under policies established by the State Board for Community Colleges and the Local Advisory Board. The College is financed primarily with state funds supplemented by contributions from the participating localities.

School Highlights

Mountain Empire Community College serves 2,253 students (45% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 13:1 is lower than the state community college average of 17:1.
Minority enrollment is 3% of the student body (majority Black and Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 48%.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 2,253 students
  • In-state tuition: $3,336
  • Out-state tuition: $8,006
  • Student:teacher ratio: 13:1
  • Minority enrollment: 3%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Mountain Empire Community College ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Virginia for:

Category
Attribute

School Overview

The teacher population of 172 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Mountain Empire Community College
(VA) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associates Colleges
Associates Colleges
Institution Level
At least 2 but less than 4 years
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Public
Public
Total Faculty
172 staff
129 staff
This chart display total faculty of Mountain Empire Community College and community college average number of faculty in VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of Mountain Empire Community College has stayed relatively flat over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 13:1 has stayed the same over five years.
The Mountain Empire Community College diversity score of 0.06 is less than the state average of 0.67. The school's diversity has declined by 48% over five years.
Total Enrollment
2,253 students
2,063 students
This chart display the total enrollment of Mountain Empire Community College and community college average number of enrollment of VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
13:1
17:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of Mountain Empire Community College and community college average student staff ratio of VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
1,010 students
843 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Mountain Empire Community College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
1,243 students
1,220 students
This chart display the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Mountain Empire Community College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
This chart display the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Mountain Empire Community College.
This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of VA.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
152 students
232 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
1,010 students
802 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Mountain Empire Community College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
101 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
1,243 students
1,243 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
20 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
n/a
476 students
% Asian
n/a
7%
% Hispanic
1%
12%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Mountain Empire Community College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Black
1%
20%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Mountain Empire Community College and the percentage of Black community college students in VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% White
97%
52%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Mountain Empire Community College and the percentage of White community college students in VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Two or more races
1%
4%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in Mountain Empire Community College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Non Resident races
n/a
2%
% Unknown races
n/a
3%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Mountain Empire Community College.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in VA.
Diversity Score
0.06
0.67
This chart display the diversity score of Mountain Empire Community College and the community college average diversity score of VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
40%
38%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Mountain Empire Community College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
n/a
0.39%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$27,300
$29,600
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Mountain Empire Community College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of VA by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $3,336 is less than the state average of $3,748. The in-state tuition has declined by 27% over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $8,006 is less than the state average of $8,977. The out-state tuition has declined by 23% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$3,336
$3,748
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of Mountain Empire Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$8,006
$8,977
This chart display tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Mountain Empire Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
98%
85%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Mountain Empire Community College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in VA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
n/a
$10,500
Median Debt for Dropouts
n/a
$5,500
Acceptance Rate
n/a
71%
Source: 2021 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Notes

  • In 1966, the Virginia Assembly enacted historic legislation establishing a statewide system of comprehensive community colleges. This legislation brought most post high school education below the bachelor's level into one system, and broadened the base of higher education in the state to such an extent that Virginia, for the first time in the twentieth century, took a major step toward democratizing higher education. As comprehensive institutions, the community colleges endeavor to serve all segments of society. In August 1971, Dr. George B. Vaughan was named president of Mountain Empire community College and groundbreaking ceremonies were held in October of that same year. The first classes were offered in the fall of 1972. The college provides a comprehensive program of student development services. The college offers occupational-technical education, transfer education, developmental studies, general education, continuing and distance education, workforce development, and community services. Mountain Empire Community College is located on 95 wooded acres. The college buildings includes Holton Hall, Godwin Hall, industrial technology building, Dalton-Cantrell Hall and Robb Hall. Mountain Empire Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate degree.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Mountain Empire Community College cost?
Mountain Empire Community College's tuition is approximately $3,336 for In-State students and $8,006 for Out-State students.
What is Mountain Empire Community College's ranking?
Mountain Empire Community College ranks among the top 20% of community college in Virginia for: Least expensive tuition and Percent of students receiving financial aid.

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 2,253 students
  • In-state tuition: $3,336
  • Out-state tuition: $8,006
  • Student:teacher ratio: 13:1
  • Minority enrollment: 3%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Related School Videos

Did You Know?

For Virginia public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $3,748 per year for in-state students and $8,977 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $15,590 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

The average community college acceptance rate in Virginia is 72%. Read more about national community college acceptance rates.

Virginia community colleges have a diversity score of 0.67, which is lower than the national average of 0.70. The most diverse community college in Virginia is Northern Virginia Community College. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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