Best Community Colleges in Virginia 2023
The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Virginia offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.
10 Best Community Colleges in Virginia
- New River Community College 30 to 1
- Richard Bland College 27 to 1
- Germanna Community College 25 to 1
- Wytheville Community College 24 to 1
- Columbia College $10,320
- Richard Bland College $6,000
- Blue Ridge Community College 18 to 1
- Columbia College 18 to 1
Colleges and Universities in Virginia
Liberty University, a private Christian school in Lynchburg, is the largest school in Virginia, serving over 60,000 students. The largest public university, Virginia Tech, has a student population of about half that but offers many in-person degree programs as well as eight master’s programs and 19 certificate programs online. Students who attend Virginia Tech can pursue fields like engineering, criminal justice, education, and business.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
The majority of Virginia’s universities and colleges could be considered small schools, serving populations of less than 5,000 students. Included on this list are public schools, like Christopher Newport University in Newport News, and private schools, like Hampton University, a historically black university in Hampton. Though most of its higher education institutes charge tuition fees above the national average, Virginia offers several loan forgiveness programs for qualifying attorneys and medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmaceutical professionals.
Virginia is perhaps most famous for its rich history - but the state is also home to many unique museums and famous landmarks. For example, those who love the classics can visit the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond. Those who harbor romantic dreams of espionage and intrigue might visit the CIA Museum in McLean. And, if you like your attractions random, you could check out Virginia’s 300-yard-long natural tunnel or its 29-ton spinning granite ball. While you’re here, you might consider attending one of the 78 colleges located in the state.
Learn more about Virginia’s higher education opportunities by checking out the state’s many colleges and universities.
What are Virginia’s Colleges & Universities?
- 11 Research Universities
- 32 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 16 Graduate Schools
- 15 Public Colleges & Universities
- 28 Private Colleges & Universities
- 17 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 31 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 21 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 26 Community Colleges
- 15 Online Colleges
Virginia’s Best Overall
We’ve identified 26 community colleges in Virginia. The following list shows the best community colleges and primarily associate degree granting colleges in Virginia.
Best Community Colleges in Virginia
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
33%
Student body
32K
What is Northern Virginia Community College known for?
Northern Virginia Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
44%
Student body
2K
What is Danville Community College known for?
Danville Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
26%
Student body
11K
What is Tidewater Community College known for?
Tidewater Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
28%
Student body
4K
What is Virginia Peninsula Community College known for?
Virginia Peninsula Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
40%
Student body
1K
What is Richard Bland College known for?
Richard Bland College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
40%
Student body
5K
What is Germanna Community College known for?
Germanna Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
32%
Student body
3K
What is Piedmont Virginia Community College known for?
Piedmont Virginia Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
33%
Student body
3K
What is Virginia Western Community College known for?
Virginia Western Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
33%
Student body
32K
What is Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale known for?
Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
41%
Student body
1K
What is Patrick & Henry Community College known for?
Patrick & Henry Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
41%
Student body
1K
What is Virginia Highlands Community College known for?
Virginia Highlands Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
42%
Student body
3K
What is New River Community College known for?
New River Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
35%
Student body
2K
What is Southwest Virginia Community College known for?
Southwest Virginia Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
36%
Student body
2K
What is Central Virginia Community College known for?
Central Virginia Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
32%
Student body
2K
What is Rappahannock Community College known for?
Rappahannock Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
42%
Student body
2K
What is Southside Virginia Community College known for?
Southside Virginia Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
24%
Student body
5K
What is J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College known for?
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
44%
Student body
2K
What is Mountain Empire Community College known for?
Mountain Empire Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
44%
Student body
1K
What is Wytheville Community College known for?
Wytheville Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
24%
Student body
<1K
What is Paul D. Camp Community College known for?
Paul D. Camp Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
33%
Student body
2K
What is Blue Ridge Community College known for?
Blue Ridge Community College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
47%
Student body
<1K
What is Mountain Gateway Community College known for?
Mountain Gateway Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Graduation
63%
Student body
<1K
What is Columbia College known for?
Columbia College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
45%
Student body
4K
What is Laurel Ridge Community College known for?
Laurel Ridge Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
30%
Student body
5K
What is Brightpoint Community College known for?
Brightpoint Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
37%
Student body
<1K
What is Eastern Shore Community College known for?
Eastern Shore Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
- Paul D. Camp Community College
- Rappahannock Community College
- Richard Bland College
- Piedmont Virginia Community College
- Southwest Virginia Community College
- Danville Community College
- Patrick & Henry Community College
- Tidewater Community College
- Virginia Western Community College
- Central Virginia Community College
- Mountain Gateway Community College
- Brightpoint Community College
- New River Community College
- Northern Virginia Community College
- Mountain Empire Community College
- Virginia Highlands Community College
- Wytheville Community College
- Blue Ridge Community College
- Southside Virginia Community College
- Virginia Peninsula Community College
- Germanna Community College
- J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
- Eastern Shore Community College
- Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale
