Mountain Empire Community College

Big Stone Gap, Virginia · Public

Of 9 assessed programs, 8 leave graduates out-earning a typical Virginia high-school graduate (about $36,613/yr) and 1 fall short. Another 33 could not be assessed.

What would this cost you?

My family earns and I expect to take

Family income	Net price per year
Under $30k	$8,148
$30k to $48k	$8,064
$48k to $75k	$10,770
$75k to $110k	$11,741
All families (average)	$8,852

Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, by family income (College Scorecard). It reflects students who received federal aid.

Program earnings vs a high-school graduate

Earnings are measured four years after completion when available. Where four-year earnings are suppressed, one-year earnings are shown and marked 1-year earnings. One-year and four-year figures reflect different career stages and should not be compared as if measured at the same time.

9 of 42 programs could be assessed 21% have an earnings verdict

Programs by earnings versus a typical Virginia high-school graduate.
Program	Degree	Median earnings	vs a high-school grad	Verdict	Median debt	Years to repay	Recent completers
Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$42,992	+$6,379	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	189
Liberal Arts and General Studies	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$16,029 1-year earnings	-$20,584	falls short	insufficient data	insufficient data	145
Liberal Arts and General Studies	Associate's Degree	$37,452	+$839	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	119
Practical and Vocational Nursing	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$51,574	+$14,961	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	66
Nursing	Associate's Degree	$69,922	+$33,309	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	55
Criminal Justice	Associate's Degree	$43,752	+$7,139	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	14
Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment	Associate's Degree	$58,843	+$22,230	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	11
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	$52,159	+$15,546	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	9
Mental Health and Counseling Services	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$43,939	+$7,326	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Construction Trades, General	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	54
Business Administration	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	41
Precision Metalworking	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	32
Computer and Information Science	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	21
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	19
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	19
Medical Laboratory Science	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	19
Natural Resources and Conservation	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	16
Dental Assisting and Hygiene	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	16
Business Administration	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	16
Natural Resources and Conservation	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	12
Human Development and Family Studies	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	12
HVAC Technology	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	11
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	10
Criminal Justice	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	10
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	9
Administrative and Office Support	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	9
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	8
Healthcare Administration	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	7
Healthcare Administration	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	7
Surveying Engineering	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	6
Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Legal Support Services	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Administrative and Office Support	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Legal Support Services	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Visual and Performing Arts, General	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Real Estate	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment	Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Accounting	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians measured four years after completion where available (programs shown with a 1-year figure are marked), compared with the state high-school-graduate benchmark ($36,613/yr). Debt is federal loans only. Suppressed values are shown as insufficient data, never imputed. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise.