Mountain Gateway Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Mountain Gateway Community College charges a net price of $4,861/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $19,444. Median earnings ten years after entry are $34,293, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Mountain Gateway Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #65 of 81 Virginia colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $4,861/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $19,444 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $34,293 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$14,067/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $9,182 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$300,784 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Mountain Gateway Community College's own numbers. Net price $4,861 × 4 years = $19,444 total. Median earnings $34,293 fall $14,067 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $19,444 bill in about 1.9 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Mountain Gateway Community College students graduate with?
A median $9,182 in federal loans among completers, or 27% of the $34,293 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Mountain Gateway Community College students graduate?
38% finish their degree — 62% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $19,444 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $51,168 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Mountain Gateway Community College expensive compared with other Virginia colleges?
Its $4,861 net price runs $14,205 below the $19,066 median across the 81 Virginia colleges we profile, and $56,820 less across the full degree.