Paying for college · Virginia
What college really costs in Virginia
Average yearly net price after grants at 111 four-year colleges, lowest first. The figure for families earning under $30,000 shows how far need-based aid goes at each school.
Virginia state grants
- G3 (Virginia community college tuition assistance): Pays whatever tuition, fees and books other aid leaves uncovered.
- Federal Pell Grant: up to $7,395 a year (2026–27)
Working while you study
$12.77/hour minimum wage
rises to $13.75 on 1 January 2027.
All four-year colleges in Virginia
| College | Avg net price | Income under $30k | Graduate | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach City Public Schools School of Practical NursingVirginia Beach · public | $2,201 | — | — | — |
| Patrick & Henry Community CollegeMartinsville · public | $3,885 | $2,938 | — | — |
| Wytheville Community CollegeWytheville · public | $4,056 | — | — | $6,500 |
| Eastern Shore Community CollegeMelfa · public | $4,303 | — | — | — |
| Paul D Camp Community CollegeFranklin · public | $4,676 | $2,400 | — | $9,500 |
| Mountain Gateway Community CollegeClifton Forge · public | $4,762 | $3,927 | — | $8,203 |
| Danville Community CollegeDanville · public | $4,767 | $3,806 | — | $11,000 |
| Brightpoint Community CollegeChester · public | $4,793 | $3,256 | — | $9,500 |
| Virginia Western Community CollegeRoanoke · public | $4,912 | $4,006 | — | $11,000 |
| Rappahannock Community CollegeGlenns · public | $5,014 | — | — | — |
| Southwest Virginia Community CollegeCedar Bluff · public | $5,173 | — | — | — |
| Laurel Ridge Community CollegeMiddletown · public | $5,184 | $4,032 | — | $8,000 |
| Germanna Community CollegeLocust Grove · public | $5,277 | $3,612 | — | $9,500 |
| Central Virginia Community CollegeLynchburg · public | $5,305 | $4,784 | — | $8,875 |
| J Sargeant Reynolds Community CollegeRichmond · public | $5,599 | $4,806 | — | $12,626 |
| University of Virginia's College at WiseWise · public | $5,869 | $4,478 | 44% | $17,009 |
| Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale · public | $5,880 | $4,213 | — | $11,000 |
| New River Community CollegeDublin · public | $6,105 | $5,141 | — | $7,750 |
| Virginia Peninsula Community CollegeHampton · public | $6,830 | $5,608 | — | $11,200 |
| Virginia Highlands Community CollegeAbingdon · public | $6,872 | $6,570 | — | — |
| Central School of Practical NursingNorfolk · public | $6,991 | — | — | — |
| Mountain Empire Community CollegeBig Stone Gap · public | $7,931 | $7,521 | — | — |
| Dermal Science International Aesthetics and Nail AcademyReston · private | $9,222 | — | — | — |
| Piedmont Virginia Community CollegeCharlottesville · public | $9,613 | $8,657 | — | $9,616 |
| Southside Virginia Community CollegeAlberta · public | $10,096 | $9,589 | — | — |
| Columbia CollegeVienna · private | $10,513 | — | — | — |
| Jazz Barber and Hairstyling AcademyPetersburg · private | $11,090 | — | — | — |
| Staunton School of CosmetologyStaunton · private | $11,535 | $8,746 | — | — |
| Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk · public | $11,681 | $10,050 | — | $8,657 |
| Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk · public | $12,180 | $11,325 | 35% | $26,000 |
| Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia BeachVirginia Beach · private | $12,243 | — | 32% | $19,816 |
| Tomorrow's Image Barber And Beauty Academy of VirginiaNewport News · private | $12,243 | — | — | $13,432 |
| Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk · public | $12,913 | $8,610 | 43% | $22,956 |
| Blue Ridge Community CollegeWeyers Cave · public | $13,500 | $12,828 | — | $9,096 |
| Radford UniversityRadford · public | $13,701 | $9,553 | 48% | $20,500 |
| George Mason UniversityFairfax · public | $14,697 | $9,594 | 66% | $18,500 |
| Richard Bland CollegeSouth Prince George · public | $14,830 | $12,728 | — | $9,597 |
| Virginia State UniversityPetersburg · public | $14,893 | $11,335 | 37% | $25,000 |
| Culpeper Cosmetology Training CenterCulpeper · public | $14,967 | — | — | — |
| Avi Career Trainingvienna · private | $15,046 | — | — | $6,333 |
| Virginia Military InstituteLexington · public | $15,585 | $10,028 | 72% | $23,000 |
| Mary Baldwin UniversityStaunton · private | $15,810 | $14,405 | 38% | $25,000 |
| Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Lafayette-ArlingtonArlington · private | $16,418 | — | — | $7,666 |
| Cayce/Reilly School of MassageVirginia Beach · private | $16,809 | — | — | — |
| Strayer University-VirginiaArlington · private | $17,213 | — | 21% | $39,188 |
| Empire Beauty School-MidlothianMidlothian · private | $17,324 | $16,880 | — | $9,847 |
| American National UniversitySalem · private | $17,696 | — | 28% | $14,144 |
| Advanced Technology InstituteVirginia Beach · private | $17,832 | $15,606 | — | $15,536 |
| Empire Beauty School-Virginia BeachVirginia Beach · private | $17,854 | $16,872 | — | $12,500 |
| University of VirginiaCharlottesville · public | $18,056 | $9,479 | 94% | $15,000 |
| Ferrum CollegeFerrum · private | $18,070 | $16,705 | 35% | $26,000 |
| Regent UniversityVirginia Beach · private | $18,135 | $18,284 | 52% | $25,000 |
| Empire Beauty School-Newport NewsNewport News · private | $18,381 | $16,641 | — | $9,847 |
| Bluefield UniversityBluefield · private | $18,402 | $18,103 | 26% | $21,814 |
| William & MaryWilliamsburg · public | $18,880 | $3,292 | 88% | $17,417 |
| Virginia Barber SchoolRichmond · private | $19,160 | — | — | — |
| Empire Beauty School-RichmondRichmond · private | $19,307 | $18,691 | — | $9,847 |
| Another Level Barbering and Cosmetology SchoolPetersburg · private | $19,436 | — | — | $16,500 |
| Virginia Wesleyan UniversityVirginia Beach · private | $20,237 | $17,353 | 45% | $25,000 |
| Virginia University of LynchburgLynchburg · private | $20,240 | $14,336 | 35% | $24,625 |
| Longwood UniversityFarmville · public | $20,773 | $15,301 | 62% | $23,250 |
| Hollins UniversityRoanoke · private | $20,875 | $15,943 | 69% | $27,000 |
| Bridgewater CollegeBridgewater · private | $21,083 | $16,892 | 52% | $25,625 |
| Sweet Briar CollegeSweet Briar · private | $21,856 | $12,837 | 57% | $23,500 |
| Randolph CollegeLynchburg · private | $22,101 | $22,076 | 54% | $26,812 |
| Washington University of Science and TechnologyAlexandria · private | $22,271 | — | 33% | — |
| Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News · public | $22,310 | $14,139 | 75% | $20,000 |
| ECPI UniversityVirginia Beach · private | $22,484 | $21,086 | 41% | $22,570 |
| The Chrysm Institute of EstheticsVirginia Beach · private | $23,068 | $22,370 | — | $6,333 |
| The Esthetic InstituteVienna · private | $23,078 | $22,199 | — | $6,333 |
| James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg · public | $23,550 | $14,379 | 80% | $19,500 |
| University of Mary WashingtonFredericksburg · public | $23,821 | $20,834 | 65% | $18,688 |
| Southern Virginia UniversityBuena Vista · private | $23,913 | $19,583 | 40% | $20,000 |
| Emory & Henry UniversityEmory · private | $24,031 | $22,289 | 58% | $23,000 |
| South University-Virginia BeachVirginia Beach · private | $24,432 | — | 17% | $26,417 |
| Eastern Mennonite UniversityHarrisonburg · private | $24,731 | $23,310 | 60% | $24,124 |
| Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond · public | $25,037 | $18,927 | 65% | $19,500 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-ManassasManassas · private | $25,142 | $23,687 | — | $31,993 |
| Washington and Lee UniversityLexington · private | $25,279 | $28 | 96% | $17,500 |
| Rudy & Kelly Academy A Paul Mitchell Partner SchoolVirginia Beach · private | $25,502 | $23,974 | — | $9,833 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-RoanokeRoanoke · private | $25,581 | $24,834 | — | $9,833 |
| Fortis College-RichmondRichmond · private | $25,648 | — | — | $12,483 |
| Hampton UniversityHampton · private | $25,683 | — | 64% | $21,843 |
| Centura College-Newport NewsNewport News · private | $25,742 | $25,882 | — | $12,750 |
| Virginia TechBlacksburg · public | $25,808 | $11,378 | 86% | $20,500 |
| Roanoke CollegeSalem · private | $25,867 | $16,827 | 64% | $27,000 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-NorfolkNorfolk · private | $26,584 | — | — | $25,750 |
| Hampden-Sydney CollegeHampden-Sydney · private | $26,626 | $21,372 | 63% | $25,000 |
| Riverside College of Health SciencesNewport News · private | $26,893 | — | 75% | $12,750 |
| University of LynchburgLynchburg · private | $27,198 | $27,709 | 59% | $25,118 |
| South University-RichmondGlen Allen · private | $27,241 | — | — | $26,417 |
| Averett UniversityDanville · private | $27,629 | $26,657 | 45% | $25,000 |
| Randolph-Macon CollegeAshland · private | $28,145 | $21,725 | 74% | $27,000 |
| Tidewater Tech-TradesNorfolk · private | $28,473 | $28,463 | — | $9,500 |
| Marymount UniversityArlington · private | $28,521 | $27,111 | 55% | $21,500 |
| Galen Health Institutes-RichmondRichmond · private | $28,567 | $28,115 | — | $22,134 |
| Galen Health Institutes-RoanokeRoanoke · private | $29,213 | $28,909 | — | $22,134 |
| Liberty UniversityLynchburg · private | $29,235 | $29,183 | 64% | $22,500 |
| Tidewater Tech-East Little CreekNorfolk · private | $29,338 | $29,148 | — | $9,500 |
| Virginia Union UniversityRichmond · private | $29,932 | $28,736 | 28% | $26,000 |
| Centura College-NorfolkNorfolk · private | $29,979 | $29,713 | — | $12,750 |
| Centura College-ChesapeakeChesapeake · private | $30,677 | $30,629 | 71% | $12,750 |
| Fortis College-NorfolkNorfolk · private | $31,024 | — | — | $12,483 |
| Shenandoah UniversityWinchester · private | $31,149 | $26,397 | 63% | $23,250 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Falls ChurchFalls Church · private | $32,806 | — | — | $28,791 |
| University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond · private | $34,256 | $21,456 | 87% | $21,500 |
| Arizona College of Nursing - ChesapeakeChesapeake · private | $35,466 | — | — | $28,791 |
| Medical Solutions AcademyDanville · private | $38,038 | — | — | $2,800 |
| Chamberlain University-VirginiaVienna · private | $44,710 | — | — | $19,746 |
| Chester Career CollegeCHESTER · private | $44,977 | — | — | $11,480 |
| Standard Healthcare Services-College of NursingFalls Church · private | $46,382 | $45,905 | — | $14,750 |
Linked colleges have a full funding guide. More are added every week.
Short of what aid covers?
Students in Virginia use My Study Fund to collect monthly support from family, friends and mentors, and receive every dollar.
Sources
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; state program pages linked above, checked 2026-10-28. Four-year, campus-based public and private nonprofit colleges with complete net-price data.