10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$300,248at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Mountain Empire Community College
⌖ Big Stone Gap, VA · 8 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$300,248 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
—Modeled economic break-even
−139%Modeled 10-year ROI
$36,516Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$8,852Average net price / year
$15,605Cost of attendance
$36,516Median earnings · year 5 after completion
48.0%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
1,282Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$35,864Year 1
$43,703Year 4
$36,516Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$69,9222Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$58,8433Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$52,1594Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$51,5745Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$43,9396Criminal Justice and Corrections · Associate's Degree$43,7527Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$42,9928Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$37,452Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in VA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Alberta, VA
Southside Virginia Community College
- Annual net price
- $5,338
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $36,766
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -141%
Danville Community College
- Annual net price
- $6,669
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $38,489
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -132%
Wytheville Community College
- Annual net price
- $4,622
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $37,897
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -136%
Southwest Virginia Community College
- Annual net price
- $6,005
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $39,624
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -126%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $69,922 | $7,475 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $58,843 | Not available |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $52,159 | Not available |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $51,574 | Not available |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $43,939 | $10,250 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $43,752 | Not available |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $42,992 | Not available |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $37,452 | $9,384 |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.