Southwest Virginia
Community College
Public Community College in Cedar Bluff, VA. Six-year graduation rate 46%. Median 10-year earnings $34,221.
Median earnings ten years after entry come to $34,221, below what most undergraduate institutions return — the central fact to weigh against cost here. 46% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
Academics
46% graduate within six years — average, but that average still hides a large group who do not. First-year retention is 61% — the single largest point of attrition on this campus. The two rates sit near each other: few students who return for a second year are missing from the six-year completion figure. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 42% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. A 20:1 ratio is unremarkable; expect a mix of lecture halls and seminars.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 1,600 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Average net price is $6,275 a year after grant aid — low for a four-year institution, though your own figure depends on aid eligibility. Income makes less difference than usual: $5,800 at $0–30k, $7,863 at $110k+. Grant aid is widespread — 87% of students receive it, averaging $6,096.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 418 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $5,800 |
| $30–48k | $4,430 |
| $48–75k | $7,391 |
| $75–110k | $8,107 |
| $110k+ | $7,863 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Tazewell County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)