700 College Rd, Cumberland, KY · Public, 2-year
- Trade grads 2023-24
- 471
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $4,872
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $34,865
Mountain Empire Community College
Big Stone Gap, Virginia. In the 2023-24 award year this school reported 86 awards in the trades we track: welding, HVAC, electrician.
- Address
- 3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219
Open in Maps - Website
- www.mecc.edu
- Phone
- (276) 523-2400
- Type
- Public, 2-year
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Federal student aid
- Eligible (Title IV)
- Undergrads (all programs)
- 1,282
- Also known as
- MECC, Mountain Empire
Trade programs and graduates
Awards (certificates and degrees) conferred July 2023 to June 2024, first majors, as reported to IPEDS.
| Trade | Program (CIP) | Award levels | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding | Welding Technology/Welder (48.0508) | Certificate, 12 weeks to 1 year (46); Certificate, 1 to 2 years (5) | 51 |
| HVAC | Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (47.0201) | Certificate, 12 weeks to 1 year (14); Certificate, 1 to 2 years (12) | 26 |
| Electrician | Electrician (46.0302) | Certificate, 12 weeks to 1 year (9) | 9 |
| Construction Trades | Construction Trades, General (46.0000) | No completions reported | 0 |
What it costs
Published charges for 2025-26, as reported to College Scorecard.
| In-state tuition and fees, per year | $5,154 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees, per year | $11,667 |
| Books and supplies | $1,780 |
| Cost of attendance, per year (incl. living costs) | $15,508 |
| Average net price after grants (aided students) | $7,931 |
Estimate your own price with the school's net price calculator.
Outcomes
College Scorecard field-of-study results for graduates who received federal aid. Fields are the broader 4-digit program family, so welding and machining share "Precision Metal Working". Earnings are medians for graduates working and not enrolled; cohorts lag several years. Scorecard reports outcomes under the school's federal aid ID, which can combine several branch campuses, so counts can exceed this campus's own graduates.
| Field | Credential | Median pay, 1 yr | Median pay, 5 yrs | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Trades, General (46.00) | Undergraduate certificate | $59,787 n=32 | n/a | n/a |
School-wide College Scorecard measures (all programs, and all campuses that share the federal aid ID):
- Completion rate within 150% of normal time (first-time, full-time students, all programs): 56%
- Median earnings 10 years after entering, all students and programs: $36,661
College Scorecard recordCollege Navigator record
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Compare more
- Trade schools in Big Stone Gap
- Electrician Schools in Big Stone Gap
- HVAC Schools in Big Stone Gap
- Welding Schools in Big Stone Gap
- Electrician Schools in Virginia
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Sources: IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Directory (HD2024), NCES; College Scorecard institution data (2025-26 charges, released Nov 2, 2026) and field-of-study data (Oct 15, 2026); FMCSA Training Provider Registry (as of 2026-11-02); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked 2026-11-02. IPEDS unit ID 232788. How we build this list.