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Community Colleges in Virginia

Virginia adopted the nickname ‘Old Dominion’ given its status as the initial English colonial possession in North America. It is the fifteenth smallest state in the country by land area yet the 12th biggest by population. The state is home to in excess of 200 accredited higher education institutions across it 95 county system. With more than 2 dozen community colleges found in the state, students can find schools in urban and suburban cities across the state. Community colleges can be found in Rockville and Frederick along with Hampton and Middleton. Top ranked community colleges in Virginia include Montgomery College, Northern Virginia Community College, John Tyler Community College, Eastern Shore Community College, Thomas Nelson Community College, and Lord Fairfax Community College.

Benefits of Attending a Virginia Community College

Community colleges are defined by their relationship with the state of Virginia as they receive public funding to operate. Like state universities, they accept state funds to operate their institutions in addition to receiving grants, donations, and tuition. Community colleges serve millions of students every year nationwide and nearly 200,000 Virginians. These schools are known for their value and access over other higher education institutions. In other words, a community college is designed to be affordable and provide quality educational opportunities for a diverse swath of individuals of all ages. In addition, they offer a guaranteed admissions policy for all qualifying students. The combination of access and value coupled with convenience makes the community college system such a strong consideration for students to begin their higher education journey.

How to Locate the Best Community College in Virginia

Start today by sorting community colleges in Virginia by size, enrollment, academics, and so forth to help narrow down your search. Narrow your list further by requesting information from these school through MatchCollege and schedule a visit to schools on your final list. Before spending time to apply to a handful of community colleges, speak with an admissions counselor at the school to understand your financial aid options. The path you take on your vocational journey starts by investing in your education and adopting a mindset of continual growth.

The following link may provide helpful information about community colleges in Virginia:

Metro Area Links for Community Colleges in Virginia

Community Colleges in Washington, Arlington, Alexandria

We have ranked the community colleges in the Washington, Arlington, and Alexandria area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Montgomery College in Rockville, MD ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/

Montgomery College Highlights

  • Serving students from Rockville and surrounding areas
  • 42% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
  • Tuition & fees are about $9,600 per year for state residents ($13,100 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Washington, Arlington, and Alexandria

Rate Institution Name Location Enrollment
42%Montgomery CollegeRockville, MD25,000
42%Frederick Community CollegeFrederick, MD6,000
39%Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale, VA52,000
35%College of Southern MarylandLa Plata, MD8,000
30%Prince George's Community CollegeLargo, MD13,000

Community Colleges in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News

We have ranked the community colleges in the Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Newport News area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. Rappahannock Community College in Glenns, VA ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://www.rappahannock.edu/

Rappahannock Community College Highlights

  • Serving students from Glenns and surrounding areas
  • 39% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
  • Tuition & fees are about $4,700 per year for state residents ($10,800 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Newport News

Rate Institution Name Location Enrollment
39%Rappahannock Community CollegeGlenns, VA4,000
35%Thomas Nelson Community CollegeHampton, VA9,000
29%Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk, VA26,000

Community Colleges in Richmond

We have ranked the community colleges in the Richmond area by the percent of students who either completed their degree or transferred to a 4-year institution. John Tyler Community College in Chester, VA ranked as the #1 community college in this area. Visit their official website at http://jtcc.edu/

John Tyler Community College Highlights

  • Serving students from Chester and surrounding areas
  • 31% of students either graduated or transferred to a 4-year college/university
  • Tuition & fees are about $4,600 per year for state residents ($10,700 for out of state)

Top Community Colleges in Richmond

Rate Institution Name Location Enrollment
31%John Tyler Community CollegeChester, VA10,000
29%J Sargeant Reynolds Community CollegeRichmond, VA11,000

Other Community Colleges in Virginia

The table below lists all the other community colleges in Virginia that do not belong to any large metropolitan or urban concentrated area. The table also displays the "Rate" column, which is the percent of students completing course work.

Rate Institution Name Location Enrollment
40%Eastern Shore Community CollegeMelfa, VA1,000
41%Lord Fairfax Community CollegeMiddletown, VA7,000
41%Southside Virginia Community CollegeAlberta, VA4,000
40%Wytheville Community CollegeWytheville, VA3,000
40%Dabney S Lancaster Community CollegeClifton Forge, VA1,000
38%Patrick Henry Community CollegeMartinsville, VA3,000
38%Piedmont Virginia Community CollegeCharlottesville, VA5,000
37%Danville Community CollegeDanville, VA4,000
36%Central Virginia Community CollegeLynchburg, VA4,000
36%Southwest Virginia Community CollegeRichlands, VA3,000
36%Virginia Western Community CollegeRoanoke, VA8,000
36%Germanna Community CollegeLocust Grove, VA7,000
36%New River Community CollegeDublin, VA4,000
36%Virginia Highlands Community CollegeAbingdon, VA2,000
36%Paul D Camp Community CollegeFranklin, VA1,000
35%Blue Ridge Community CollegeWeyers Cave, VA4,000
33%Mountain Empire Community CollegeBig Stone Gap, VA3,000

Notes: Tuition & fee amounts are for both Virginia in-state residents and out of state students, unless noted otherwise. The tuition information displayed is an estimate, which we calculated based on historical data and should be solely used for informational purposes only. Please contact the respective school for information about the current school year.

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2015: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.