Mercer County Technical Education Center
Princeton, WV 24740
About Mercer County Technical Education Center
Mercer County Technical Education Center is a public certificate and vocational school in Princeton, West Virginia, enrolling about 120 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. The published completion rate is about 79.17% at 150% of normal time. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $33,511 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 79.17%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $33,511.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Mercer County Technical Education Center is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 3665% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County Technical Education Center | — | $2,225 | 1 |
| Public (national median) | $5,512 | — | 1,688 |
| West Virginia (state median) | $9,574 | $9,114 | 36 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Mercer County Technical Education Center really?
Key findings
- Average net price runs below the West Virginia median net price.
Evidence: average net price at Mercer County Technical Education Center versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Mercer County Technical Education Center is $2,225.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $2,225 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $6,890 below the West Virginia median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $12,746 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Mercer County Technical Education Center: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Mercer County Technical Education Center—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Avg. net price
$2,225
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $1,623 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $3,428 |
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Mercer County Technical Education Center is known for
Top program completions
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training34
- Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist13
- Welding Technology/Welder12
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General11
- Electrician10
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Mercer County Technical Education Center a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Mercer County Technical Education Center is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Mercer County Technical Education Center.
Campus
Location
Princeton, WV
City / state
- ZIP
- 24740
- NCES locale
- Town distant
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is about 0.1× the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Public
Control
- Region
- Southeast
Size
Enrollment
120
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 129
- Full-time share
- 75%
Student aid
Debt & aid
- Pell grant share
- 62.39%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Mercer County Technical Education Center.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Mercer County Technical Education Center was not reported in the College Scorecard extract for this institution.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Mercer County Technical Education Center in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | — | — | $6,641 |
| 2014 | — | — | $7,438 |
| 2015 | — | — | $6,232 |
| 2016 | — | — | $7,025 |
| 2017 | — | — | $4,882 |
| 2018 | — | — | $8,380 |
| 2019 | — | — | $348 |
| 2020 | — | — | $2,716 |
| 2021 | — | — | $5,590 |
| 2022 | — | — | $6,514 |
| 2023 | — | — | $3,658 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Mercer County Technical Education Center reported total enrollment of about 120 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 34% male and 66% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (85.8%), Black or African American (11.7%), and Hispanic or Latino (0.8%). About 62.39% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 62.2% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
75.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Mercer County Technical Education Center in 2024 is 120 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 129 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
74.2%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
79.17% 100% Completion Time
79.17% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 79.17% of students graduating from Mercer County Technical Education Center completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training: 6% male / 94% female
- Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist: 8% male / 92% female
- Welding Technology/Welder: 92% male / 8% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Mercer County Technical Education Center graduates earn a median of $33,511 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Mercer County Technical Education Center.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $33,511. Average net price used in cost models: $2,225.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Mercer County Technical Education Center graduates report median earnings of $33,511 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Mercer County Technical Education Center.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 7 programs by IPEDS completions (8 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Mercer County Technical Education Center.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Mercer County Technical Education Center graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Mercer County Technical Education Center—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $13,748
- West Virginia median 1.9× the median ($7,346)
- Southeast median 2.1× the median ($6,602)
- U.S. median 1.9× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Mercer County Technical Education Center at a glance
Mercer County Technical Education Center
Mercer County Technical Education Center is a public institution in Princeton, WV.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse TrainingPhlebotomy Technician/PhlebotomistWelding Technology/Welder
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian85.8%Black or African American11.7%Hispanic or Latino0.8%
Schools near Mercer County Technical Education Center
Other campuses in Princeton, WV when available, plus nearby institutions in West Virginia.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C-) within West Virginia, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Mercer County Technical Education Center located?
Mercer County Technical Education Center is located in Princeton, WV.
How much does Mercer County Technical Education Center cost?
Reported tuition is N/A and average net price is $2,225 in the latest College Scorecard data.
What explains Mercer County Technical Education Center's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($2,225), completion (79.2% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($33,511). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Mercer County Technical Education Center?
Mercer County Technical Education Center reports undergraduate enrollment of about 129 students, White (85.8%), Black or African American (11.7%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Mercer County Technical Education Center?
About 62.2% of students at Mercer County Technical Education Center are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Mercer County Technical Education Center earn?
Median earnings are $36,860 six years after entry and $33,511 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Mercer County Technical Education Center?
The 150%-time completion rate is 79.2% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
Is Mercer County Technical Education Center public or private?
Mercer County Technical Education Center is a public institution located in Princeton, WV.
Is Mercer County Technical Education Center an HBCU?
No. Mercer County Technical Education Center is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Mercer County Technical Education Center a tribal college?
No. Mercer County Technical Education Center is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Mercer County Technical Education Center a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, Mercer County Technical Education Center does not meet that proxy (reported share 0.8%).
Is Mercer County Technical Education Center religiously affiliated?
No religious affiliation is reported for Mercer County Technical Education Center in IPEDS institutional characteristics.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.