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Community college · Public

McDowell Technical Community College

Marion, NC634 online only

McDowell Technical Community College is a public community college in Marion, NC, with about 569 students on campus. Price, graduation and earnings figures on this page count online students too.

Visit www.mcdowelltech.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
569
plus 634 studying only online
Admission rate
Open
open enrollment
Net price a year
$7,784
tuition and fees $2,032; the net price adds housing and food
Graduation rate
48%
lower than at 70% of 2-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$33,035
lower than at 73% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about McDowell Technical Community College

Most students study part-time

73% of undergraduates attend part-time. The graduation rate counts only first-time, full-time students, so it covers a minority of the people studying here. The students ↓

McDowell Technical Community College is very small

About 569 students attend on campus. With classes this small, a handful of students can move the graduation rate from one year to the next. The students ↓

Rent in Marion is below the state median

Median rent in Marion is $762 a month, 38% below the state median. Living in Marion ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students; at a college this small, rates can swing from year to year.

★ What stands out · Who goes there

The students

608 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 76%Hispanic 12%Black 5%Asian 1%Two or more 3%

Women and men

Women 65%Men 35%
8 : 1
students per teacher
27%
get Pell grants (lower income)
0%
take federal loans
26%
undergrads 25 or older
73%
study part time
Getting in

How hard is it to get into McDowell Technical Community College?

Open

anyone with a high school diploma can enroll

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. McDowell Technical Community College is likely test-optional.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $18,783 a year

Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $6,640

Tuition & fees (in state) $2,032Books & supplies $1,750Other costs $15,001

After grants, the average family on aid pays $7,784.

Tuition and fees are $2,032 a year. The net price also counts housing, food and other costs at full price, so a student living at home pays less than it shows.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$9,301

About $18,602 over 2 years · 50% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
48%
within 3 years · Pell students 36%
Come back for year two
80%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$33,035
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
—

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

25%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 9% of U.S. colleges.

Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Liberal arts 32%Health professions 20%Business 10%Culinary & personal services 10%Precision production 8%Mechanic & repair 4%Everything else 17%

Associate degree programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities103 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations14 graduates a year
—not reported
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing11 graduates a year
$75k4 yrs out
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians8 graduates a year
—not reported
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians6 graduates a year
—not reported
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods5 graduates a year
—not reported
Precision Metal Working5 graduates a year
—not reported
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services4 graduates a year
—not reported
The town around it

Living in Marion

3% of Marion’s 7,440 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Marion pages.

Marion →
MarionMarion, NC
$762/momedian rent · 38% below the state$239Ktypical home valueDSafety Grade28° / 88°January low / July high · 7" of snowCHealth GradeAll colleges in and near MarionCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from McDowell Technical Community College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Western Piedmont Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Morganton
16.1 mi1,344 students
Montreat CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Montreat
18.8 mi687 students
Mayland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Spruce Pine
19.5 mi551 students
Isothermal Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Spindale
22.3 mi938 students
Warren Wilson CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Swannanoa
27.2 mi797 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.