AB Tech vs Virginia Western Community College (VWCC)

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) and Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) stand out as two prominent community colleges in their respective regions, offering diverse educational opportunities to students. While both institutions share a commitment to providing affordable, high-quality education, they exhibit distinct characteristics that cater to different student needs and preferences. A-B Tech boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students seeking admission. VWCC, on the other hand, offers a wider range of popular majors, including programs in healthcare, business, and engineering. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision. Discover which college aligns best with your academic goals and aspirations, and take the first step towards a successful future.

	Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College	Virginia Western Community College
Overview
Location	Asheville, North Carolina	Roanoke, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	60.0%	65.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $16,634 Out of state: $22,778	In state: $17,877 Out of state: $23,880
Average net price	$7,964	$6,400
Tuition	In state: $2,432 Out of state: $8,576	In state: $4,680 Out of state: $9,978
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	64.0% Average amount $5,269	77.0% Average amount $5,233
Students receiving federal student loan	6.0% Average amount $5,730	6.0% Average amount $4,890
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,270 Men 37.3% Women 62.7%	5,625 Men 42.0% Women 58.0%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	1.6%	0.1%
International students	0.1%	0.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	North Carolina Georgia Florida California District of Columbia	Virginia New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Culinary and Personal Services Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	22:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	33.3%	33.0%
Dropout rate	45.9%	41.1%
Transferred out	11.9%	14.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $54,107 Year 2: $53,951 Year 3: $55,704 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $47,186 Year 2: $54,153 Year 3: $55,144 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $44,497 Year 2: $42,263 Year 3: $45,939 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $37,022 Year 2: $36,992 Year 3: $38,401 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $37,899 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,899 Hospitality Administration/Management (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,816 Year 3: $29,402 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $29,566 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $29,385 Culinary Arts and Related Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $26,819 Year 2: $26,285 Year 3: $29,336 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $28,882 Year 2: $27,947 Year 3: $27,436	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $55,728 Year 2: $61,350 Year 3: $61,579 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $49,377 Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $56,203 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $55,070 Year 2: $53,537 Year 3: $53,680 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $42,349 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $28,104 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $36,188 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $33,709 Accounting and Related Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $34,126 Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: $31,709 Biological and Physical Sciences (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $23,933 Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $30,083 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $21,594 Year 2: $26,585 Year 3: $27,245 Social Sciences, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $19,236 Year 2: $19,455 Year 3: $27,196

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