Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) vs Isothermal Community College

Mountain Empire Community College and Isothermal Community College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. While they share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they also possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. This side-by-side comparison delves into the intricacies of each college, highlighting key differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Whether you're a prospective student seeking the ideal academic environment or an individual curious about the nuances of these two institutions, this comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights to aid your decision-making process. Explore the comparison table to discover which college best aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Isothermal Community College	Mountain Empire Community College
Overview
Location	Spindale, North Carolina	Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	59.0%	68.0%
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: $20,548 Out of state: $25,156	In state: $14,385 Out of state: $20,388
Average net price	$6,332	$8,803
Tuition	In state: $1,824 Out of state: $6,432	In state: $4,620 Out of state: $9,918
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	93.0% Average amount $4,976	98.0% Average amount $5,590
Students receiving federal student loan		0.0% Average amount $0
Students taking out private loans		1.0% Average amount $3,006

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,913 Men 35.8% Women 64.2%	2,079 Men 37.3% Women 62.7%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	0.4%	1.0%
International students	0.5%	0.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
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 South Carolina	Virginia Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Engineering Technologies Construction Trades	Health Professions Liberal Arts Engineering Technologies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Construction Trades
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	40.2%	44.1%
Dropout rate	39.4%	45.6%
Transferred out	13.7%	3.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $50,661 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $58,470 Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $36,590 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $19,827 Year 2: $18,498 Year 3: $22,654 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,461 Year 3: N/A Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,663 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $49,999 Year 2: $50,161 Year 3: $52,521 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $39,541 Year 2: $36,166 Year 3: $41,849 Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $30,684 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $15,964 Year 3: $21,826 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $18,788 Year 2: $19,508 Year 3: $21,200 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $31,719 Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $30,449 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: N/A Business Operations Support and Assistant Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $24,047 Year 2: $20,824 Year 3: N/A

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