Southwest Virginia Community College (SwVCC) vs Virginia Western Community College (VWCC)

Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) and Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) stand out as two prominent community colleges in Virginia, each offering unique educational opportunities. While both institutions share a commitment to providing affordable, quality education, they differ in several key aspects. SWCC boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. VWCC, on the other hand, offers a wider range of academic programs, including popular majors like nursing and business administration. Additionally, VWCC has a larger student body, providing a more diverse and vibrant campus experience. However, SWCC's smaller class sizes may appeal to students seeking a more personalized learning environment. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting the key differences between these two institutions. Explore the table to discover which college better aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Southwest Virginia Community College	Virginia Western Community College
Overview
Location	Cedar Bluff, Virginia	Roanoke, Virginia
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Midsize
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	51.0%	65.0%
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: $19,133 Out of state: $25,136	In state: $17,877 Out of state: $23,880
Average net price	$8,669	$6,400
Tuition	In state: $4,620 Out of state: $9,918	In state: $4,680 Out of state: $9,978
Room & board
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $5,504	77.0% Average amount $5,233
Students receiving federal student loan		6.0% Average amount $4,890
Students taking out private loans		0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,135 Men 35.9% Women 64.1%	5,625 Men 42.0% Women 58.0%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	8.2%	0.1%
International students	0.2%	0.4%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	City: Midsize
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	Virginia West Virginia Tennessee North Carolina	Virginia New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Precision Production Family and Consumer Sciences Business	Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	22:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	34.6%	33.0%
Dropout rate	48.7%	41.1%
Transferred out	7.0%	14.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $50,932 Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $50,342 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $26,400 Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $46,541 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $22,336 Year 2: $20,596 Year 3: $23,477 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $13,601 Year 2: $16,345 Year 3: $21,365 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $26,609 Year 2: $28,792 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $55,728 Year 2: $61,350 Year 3: $61,579 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $49,377 Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $56,203 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $55,070 Year 2: $53,537 Year 3: $53,680 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $42,349 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $28,104 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $36,188 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $33,709 Accounting and Related Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $34,126 Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: $31,709 Biological and Physical Sciences (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $23,933 Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $30,083 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $21,594 Year 2: $26,585 Year 3: $27,245 Social Sciences, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $19,236 Year 2: $19,455 Year 3: $27,196

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