Data shows that students paid $16,180 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $334 more than the previous school year.
Among the 117 institutions providing full disclosure in the state, Washington and Lee University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $61,750. The University of Richmond followed with an average of $60,330 per year. Southside Virginia Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $4,755.
Currently there are 127 higher education institutions in Virginia.
At the time, at least $618.5 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started college in Virginia. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $216.1 million.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 127 institutions in Virginia, 10 did not provide detailed data on tuition fees, including Lotus Professional College, Bon Secours St Mary's Hospital School of Medical Imaging, and Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
Average Tuition Fees in Virginia Universities in 2022-23 School Year
| Institution | Average Tuition Fees | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington and Lee University | $61,750 | 1,867 |
| University of Richmond | $60,330 | 3,145 |
| Hampden-Sydney College | $50,740 | 846 |
| Randolph-Macon College | $46,460 | 1,490 |
| Hollins University | $41,210 | 691 |
| Eastern Mennonite University | $40,990 | 892 |
| Bridgewater College | $39,800 | 1,385 |
| Ferrum College | $38,320 | 835 |
| Averett University | $37,790 | 1,140 |
| Marymount University | $37,600 | 2,275 |
| Virginia Wesleyan University | $36,910 | 1,479 |
| Roanoke College | $35,350 | 1,826 |
| Shenandoah University | $35,170 | 2,461 |
| Emory & Henry College | $35,155 | 1,082 |
| Eastern Virginia Career College | $35,050 | 202 |
| University of Lynchburg | $34,500 | 1,589 |
| William & Mary | $32,865 | 6,797 |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus | $32,699 | 17,444 |
| Chester Career College | $32,585 | 140 |
| Mary Baldwin University | $32,036 | 1,314 |
| Virginia Military Institute | $30,560 | 1,512 |
| Bluefield University | $29,420 | 705 |
| Hampton University | $29,162 | 2,846 |
| Patrick Henry College | $28,425 | 409 |
| Randolph College | $27,930 | 478 |
| Sweet Briar College | $23,590 | 457 |
| Liberty University | $22,511 | 48,906 |
| Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing | $21,887 | 623 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | $21,337 | 30,434 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Tysons Corner | $21,000 | 129 |
| Chamberlain University-Virginia | $20,142 | 663 |
| Regent University | $19,680 | 4,541 |
| Southern Virginia University | $19,108 | 1,053 |
| Sylvain Melloul International Hair Academy | $19,062 | 116 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Roanoke | $19,034 | 106 |
| Empire Beauty School-Midlothian | $18,750 | 84 |
| Empire Beauty School-Richmond | $18,750 | 50 |
| Empire Beauty School-Newport News | $18,750 | 85 |
| Empire Beauty School-Virginia Beach | $18,750 | 171 |
| Rudy & Kelly Academy, A Paul Mitchell Partner School | $18,575 | 211 |
| Culpeper Cosmetology Training Center | $18,500 | 59 |
| ECPI University | $18,484 | 11,399 |
| George Mason University | $18,028 | 27,014 |
| Riverside College of Health Careers | $17,600 | 338 |
| James Madison University | $17,572 | 20,346 |
| Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach | $17,544 | 1,281 |
| DeVry University-Virginia | $17,488 | 59 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | $17,172 | 20,958 |
| Asher Institute of Hampton | $17,134 | 116 |
| Luckes Beauty Academy LLC | $17,100 | 21 |
| Tomorrow's Image Barber And Beauty Academy of Virginia | $17,085 | 19 |
| South University-Richmond | $17,014 | 337 |
| South University-Virginia Beach | $17,014 | 205 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk | $16,757 | 232 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas | $16,757 | 188 |
| Centura College-Chesapeake | $16,637 | 189 |
| Centura College-Richmond Main | $16,637 | 149 |
| Centura College-Newport News | $16,637 | 209 |
| Centura College-Norfolk | $16,637 | 221 |
| Centura College-Virginia Beach | $16,637 | 109 |
| Staunton School of Cosmetology | $16,575 | 22 |
| Fortis College-Norfolk | $16,514 | 410 |
| Tidewater Tech-Trades | $16,337 | 454 |
| Another Level Barbering and Cosmetology School | $16,277 | 50 |
| Christopher Newport University | $16,269 | 4,449 |
| University of Mary Washington | $15,978 | 3,493 |
| University of Virginia's College at Wise | $15,848 | 1,704 |
| Longwood University | $15,507 | 3,154 |
| Advanced Technology Institute | $14,568 | 459 |
| Fortis College-Richmond | $14,332 | 353 |
| Virginia Union University | $14,305 | 1,329 |
| CET-Alexandria | $13,736 | 60 |
| Crown Cutz Academy Bristol | $13,600 | 46 |
| Strayer University-Virginia | $13,515 | 2,198 |
| Radford University | $13,295 | 6,008 |
| Norfolk State University | $13,228 | 5,337 |
| Virginia State University | $12,860 | 4,300 |
| Old Dominion University | $12,660 | 18,375 |
| Centra College | $12,259 | 227 |
| American Massage & Bodywork Institute | $11,100 | 88 |
| Dermal Science International Aesthetics and Nail Academy | $10,900 | 61 |
| Cayce/Reilly School of Massage | $10,900 | 54 |
| American National University | $10,856 | 950 |
| Avi Career Training | $10,700 | 17 |
| Fairfax University of America | $10,128 | 11 |
| The Esthetic Institute | $10,000 | 115 |
| The Chrysm Institute of Esthetics | $10,000 | 217 |
| Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics | $9,950 | 24 |
| University of Management and Technology | $9,450 | 373 |
| Virginia University of Lynchburg | $9,400 | 479 |
| Richard Bland College | $8,502 | 2,051 |
| Central School of Practical Nursing | $7,475 | 21 |
| Ascent College | $7,300 | 99 |
| Northern Virginia Community College | $5,626 | 51,896 |
| Tidewater Community College | $5,621 | 16,195 |
| Blue Ridge Community College | $5,424 | 3,562 |
| Southwest Virginia Community College | $5,279 | 2,163 |
| Mountain Gateway Community College | $5,220 | 946 |
| Virginia Western Community College | $5,103 | 5,860 |
| Paul D Camp Community College | $5,090 | 1,188 |
| Virginia Beach City Public Schools School of Practical Nursing | $5,090 | 54 |
| J Sargeant Reynolds Community College | $5,058 | 7,527 |
| Virginia Highlands Community College | $4,965 | 2,068 |
| Patrick & Henry Community College | $4,963 | 1,861 |
| Virginia Peninsula Community College | $4,926 | 6,018 |
| Germanna Community College | $4,913 | 7,688 |
| Mountain Empire Community College | $4,905 | 1,928 |
| Central Virginia Community College | $4,853 | 3,388 |
| Piedmont Virginia Community College | $4,850 | 5,022 |
| Danville Community College | $4,845 | 2,274 |
| Wytheville Community College | $4,845 | 2,116 |
| Rappahannock Community College | $4,820 | 2,591 |
| Eastern Shore Community College | $4,800 | 658 |
| Brightpoint Community College | $4,800 | 8,792 |
| Laurel Ridge Community College | $4,799 | 5,720 |
| New River Community College | $4,757 | 3,980 |
| Southside Virginia Community College | $4,755 | 3,112 |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
Marymount University• The University of Virginia's College at Wise• Southside Virginia Community College• Fortis College-Norfolk• Virginia Union University• The Esthetic Institute• Virginia Military Institute• Empire Beauty School-Newport News• J Sargeant Reynolds Community College• Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage• Tomorrow's Image Barber and Beauty Academy of Virginia• Mountain Empire Community College• Sweet Briar College• Lord Fairfax Community College• Sylvain Melloul International Hair Academy• Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics• Tidewater Tech-Trades• Ferrum College• New River Community College• Virginia Wesleyan University• University of Virginia-Main Campus• Christopher Newport University• Paul D Camp Community College• Asher Institute of Hampton• Northern Virginia Community College• Devry University-Virginia• Regent University• Empire Beauty School-Richmond• Richard Bland College of William and Mary• Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing• Virginia Western Community College• Dermal Science International Aesthetics And Nail Academy• Riverside College of Health Careers• Randolph-Macon College• Fairfax University of America• Shenandoah University• The Chrysm Insitute of Esthetics• Lotus Professional College• Rudy & Kelly Academy-A Paul Mitchell Partner School• Centura College-Chesapeake• Southern Virginia University• Centura College-Newport News• Centura College-Virginia Beach• Virginia University of Lynchburg• American Massage & Bodywork Institute• Blue Ridge Community College• Rappahannock Community College• Strayer University-Virginia• Fortis College-Richmond• Old Dominion University• Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk• Virginia Highlands Community College• Eastern Mennonite University• Southside College of Health Sciences• South University-Virginia Beach• University of Mary Washington• Tidewater Community College• Liberty University• American National University• Randolph College• Luckes Beauty Academy Llc• Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital School of Medical Imaging• Virginia Beach City Public Schools School of Practical Nursing• Patrick Henry College• Mary Baldwin University• Bridgewater College• Thomas Nelson Community College• Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach• Paul Mitchell The School-McLean• Central School of Practical Nursing• Eastern Shore Community College• South University-Richmond• Virginia Beach Theological Seminary• Longwood University• Chamberlain University-Virginia• Germanna Community College• Wytheville Community College• Paul Mitchell The School-Roanoke• Roanoke College• Sovah School of Health Professions• Hollins University• Crown Cutz Academy Bristol• Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing• Aviation Institute of Maintenance Manassas• University of Lynchburg• Washington And Lee University• Hampden-Sydney College• Empire Beauty School-Virginia Beach• Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University• Dabney S Lancaster Community College• Cayce/Reilly School of Massage• Danville Community College• Norfolk State University• Centra College of Nursing• Patrick Henry Community College• Empire Beauty School-Midlothian• Centura College-Norfolk• Centura College-Richmond Main• Averett University• Virginia State University• Staunton School Of Cosmetology• Cet-Alexandria• Iglobal University• Piedmont Virginia Community College• James Madison University• Ecpi University• Hampton University• Eastern Virginia Career College• Southwest Virginia Community College• University Of Management And Technology• William & Mary• Sentara College Of Health Sciences• George Mason University• Bluefield University• Radford University• Avi Career Training• Advanced Technology Institute• John Tyler Community College• Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School Of Practical Nursing• Chester Career College• Virginia Commonwealth University• Central Virginia Community College• Culpeper Cosmetology Training Center• Another Level Barbering And Cosmetology School• Bethel College
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