Tuition & Fees

With higher education costs skyrocketing both across the Commonwealth and nationwide, Virginia’s community colleges remain a smart choice for students who are beginning postsecondary education or returning to college mid-career.

Virginia community colleges are meeting an affordable tuition goal: tuition will not exceed half of the average cost to attend a public four-year institution in Virginia.

In fact, as of fall 2009, in-state tuition and mandatory fees for our colleges was about $2,781 for two semesters of full-time study (15 credit hours per semester), less than 35 percent of the average in-state tuition and fees at Virginia’s public universities ($7,984).

Tuition rates set by the State Board for Community Colleges, effective spring 2010, are as follows:
(adopted November 2009)

Virginia Resident $ 100.00 per credit hour
Out-of-State Resident $ 282.10 per credit hour

The statewide tuition rates include a $5.50 per credit technology fee.

A differential is charged at Northern Virginia Community College and at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, and other community colleges also have additional fees.