PlainCollege

State profile · 149 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in Virginia

Colleges in Virginia from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

149
Colleges
$45,487
Avg 10-yr earnings (125 of 149)
70.7%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

Virginia · the picture in one line

Virginia's 125 of 149 colleges that report earnings average $45,487 in 10-year former-student earnings - 17th highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#17
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$94,810
top earnings - Washington and Lee University
70.7%
avg acceptance (50 reporting)
43 / 45 / 61
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among Virginia colleges with reported figures: Virginia Military Institute.

Virginia · enrollment ≠ earnings

In Virginia, Liberty University leads by undergraduate enrollment (50,012 students, #1 of 111) but ranks #50 of 111 on 10-year median earnings ($44,813), while Washington and Lee University tops earnings at $94,810 (#1 of 111) with 1,881 students (#32 of 111). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

50,012
Liberty University enrollment #1
$94,810
Washington and earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#50
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of Virginia's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows Liberty University is largest by enrollment; Washington and Lee University leads on 10-year earnings at $94,810.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in Virginia returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Virginia as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in Virginia by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Virginia

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

Virginia colleges: earnings vs. cost

Virginia colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Virginia colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $33K $91K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $4K $31K Avg Net Price ($) Liberty University: $45K earn · $29K net · 64% grad Liberty University Northern Virginia Community College: $54K earn · $10K net · 35% grad Northern Virginia … Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: $82K earn · $25K net · 86% grad Virginia Polytechn… George Mason University: $76K earn · $18K net · 69% grad George Mason Unive… James Madison University: $70K earn · $23K net · 80% grad James Madison Univ… Virginia Commonwealth University: $58K earn · $23K net · 64% grad Virginia Commonwea… University of Virginia-Main Campus: $87K earn · $22K net · 95% grad Old Dominion University: $55K earn · $15K net · 45% grad ECPI University: $43K earn · $23K net · 44% grad Tidewater Community College: $38K earn · $12K net · 31% grad William & Mary: $73K earn · $19K net · 90% grad Radford University: $54K earn · $15K net · 49% grad Brightpoint Community College: $41K earn · $5K net · 39% grad J Sargeant Reynolds Community College: $40K earn · $5K net · 31% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How Virginia ranks among the states

Virginia's average 10-year earnings of $45,487 place it in the 70th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

Virginia: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$45,487 Top 30% higher than 70% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). Below this entry. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Below this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). This entry sits in this band. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Above this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. VA $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Virginia vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in Virginia

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - Virginia

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
149
Total Schools
$18,335
Avg In-State Tuition (102 of 149)
70.7%
Avg Acceptance Rate (50 of 149)
$45,487
Avg Median Earnings (125 of 149)
43 Public 45 Private NP 61 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Virginia

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 149 postsecondary institutions in Virginia. The ownership mix is 43 public institutions, 45 private nonprofits, and 61 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 102 of 149 Virginia institutions that report one is $18,335, and the average admission rate among the 50 that report one sits at 70.7%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 125 of 149 Virginia colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $45,487, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in Virginia

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
Liberty University Lynchburg Private NP 50,012 99.0% $44,813
Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Public 33,048 - $53,557
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg Public 30,923 54.8% $81,698
George Mason University Fairfax Public 27,752 87.5% $76,343
James Madison University Harrisonburg Public 20,888 71.5% $69,954
Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Public 20,753 92.6% $58,128
University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville Public 17,597 16.8% $86,863
Old Dominion University Norfolk Public 17,514 90.4% $54,914
ECPI University Virginia Beach For-Profit 12,090 74.5% $42,837
Tidewater Community College Norfolk Public 12,082 - $38,349
William & Mary Williamsburg Public 7,055 34.1% $73,490
Radford University Radford Public 6,038 89.5% $53,739
Brightpoint Community College Chester Public 5,792 - $41,223
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College Richmond Public 5,586 - $39,529
Germanna Community College Locust Grove Public 5,508 - $39,644
Norfolk State University Norfolk Public 5,392 87.8% $44,666
Virginia State University Petersburg Public 5,074 88.6% $45,543
Regent University Virginia Beach Private NP 4,729 38.1% $44,498
Christopher Newport University Newport News Public 4,365 86.0% $60,509
Virginia Peninsula Community College Hampton Public 3,941 - $37,996
Virginia Western Community College Roanoke Public 3,898 - $38,787
Hampton University Hampton Private NP 3,727 62.3% $59,159
University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg Public 3,566 79.8% $60,613
Laurel Ridge Community College Middletown Public 3,195 - $41,000
Piedmont Virginia Community College Charlottesville Public 3,045 - $40,752
Longwood University Farmville Public 3,015 90.2% $52,347
University of Richmond University of Richmond Private NP 2,980 22.2% $76,178
Blue Ridge Community College Weyers Cave Public 2,730 - $42,644
Central Virginia Community College Lynchburg Public 2,249 - $36,627
Shenandoah University Winchester Private NP 2,116 77.0% $58,433
New River Community College Dublin Public 1,965 - $40,025
Washington and Lee University Lexington Private NP 1,881 14.0% $94,810
Marymount University Arlington Private NP 1,810 93.2% $67,516
Southside Virginia Community College Alberta Public 1,807 - $32,371
Roanoke College Salem Private NP 1,767 83.1% $58,047
Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach Virginia Beach Private NP 1,709 - $32,568
Strayer University-Virginia Arlington For-Profit 1,668 - $40,092
Southwest Virginia Community College Cedar Bluff Public 1,651 - $34,221
Randolph-Macon College Ashland Private NP 1,639 86.6% $58,448
University of Lynchburg Lynchburg Private NP 1,577 43.0% $56,380
Virginia Military Institute Lexington Public 1,527 71.3% $77,369
Bridgewater College Bridgewater Private NP 1,400 91.7% $53,453
Rappahannock Community College Glenns Public 1,367 - $36,121
Patrick & Henry Community College Martinsville Public 1,350 - $33,323
Virginia Highlands Community College Abingdon Public 1,349 - $32,681
Danville Community College Danville Public 1,306 - $31,664
Mountain Empire Community College Big Stone Gap Public 1,282 - $32,622
Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach Private NP 1,256 72.9% $50,074
Wytheville Community College Wytheville Public 1,255 - $34,303
Averett University Danville Private NP 1,231 56.6% $51,516
Virginia Union University Richmond Private NP 1,203 98.0% $38,275
University of Virginia's College at Wise Wise Public 1,101 28.5% $45,325
Mary Baldwin University Staunton Private NP 1,090 - $44,427
Emory & Henry University Emory Private NP 1,078 83.7% $47,385
Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney Private NP 946 40.9% $67,640
Southern Virginia University Buena Vista Private NP 936 96.4% $50,002
Richard Bland College South Prince George Public 894 89.3% $41,452
Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg Private NP 754 100.0% $54,869
Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing Falls Church For-Profit 730 27.9% -
Ferrum College Ferrum Private NP 699 89.0% $44,296
Hollins University Roanoke Private NP 665 68.0% $40,075
Randolph College Lynchburg Private NP 658 93.7% $53,409
American National University Salem For-Profit 630 - $26,370
Bluefield University Bluefield Private NP 614 59.3% $48,896
Paul D Camp Community College Franklin Public 613 - $36,031
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing Richmond Private NP 591 - $77,014
Chamberlain University-Virginia Vienna For-Profit 557 90.0% $92,405
Fortis College-Richmond Richmond For-Profit 502 - $32,754
Eastern Shore Community College Melfa Public 495 - $32,418
Galen Health Institutes-Richmond Richmond For-Profit 454 - $61,480
Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar Private NP 443 75.5% $51,943
Mountain Gateway Community College Clifton Forge Public 425 - $34,293
Advanced Technology Institute Virginia Beach For-Profit 415 53.5% $46,342
Washington University of Science and Technology Alexandria For-Profit 400 7.3% -
Fortis College-Norfolk Norfolk For-Profit 399 - $32,754
Tidewater Tech-Trades Norfolk For-Profit 367 - $31,657
Riverside College of Health Sciences Newport News Private NP 350 12.9% $66,072
Arizona College of Nursing-Falls Church Falls Church For-Profit 348 100.0% $34,657
Galen Health Institutes-Roanoke Roanoke For-Profit 315 - $61,480
University of Management and Technology Arlington For-Profit 294 - $68,530
The Chrysm Institute of Esthetics Virginia Beach For-Profit 271 - -
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk Norfolk For-Profit 270 - $44,173
Sentara College of Health Sciences Chesapeake Private NP 242 - $77,821
South University-Virginia Beach Virginia Beach For-Profit 240 - $34,421
South University-Richmond Glen Allen For-Profit 232 - $34,421
Centra College Lynchburg Private NP 219 100.0% $60,122
Centura College-Newport News Newport News For-Profit 203 - $25,930
Eastern Virginia Career College Fredericksburg For-Profit 177 96.0% $37,304
Sylvain Melloul International Hair Academy Lynchburg For-Profit 175 - $17,106
Lotus Professional College Richmond For-Profit 171 - -
Paul Mitchell the School-Roanoke Roanoke For-Profit 169 - $19,217
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Lafayette-Arlington Arlington For-Profit 166 - $23,904
Centura College-Norfolk Norfolk For-Profit 163 - $25,930
Empire Beauty School-Virginia Beach Virginia Beach For-Profit 163 - $24,407
University of the Potomac-VA Campus FALLS CHURCH For-Profit 157 - $34,961
Rudy & Kelly Academy A Paul Mitchell Partner School Virginia Beach For-Profit 155 - $24,176
Southside College of Health Sciences Colonial Heights Private NP 151 - $71,380
Columbia College Vienna For-Profit 151 - $22,160
Arizona College of Nursing - Chesapeake Chesapeake For-Profit 149 100.0% $34,657
Tidewater Tech-East Little Creek Norfolk For-Profit 133 - $31,657
Virginia University of Lynchburg Lynchburg Private NP 125 - $28,396
Empire Beauty School-Midlothian Midlothian For-Profit 125 - $23,921
Medical Solutions Academy Danville For-Profit 108 - -
Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage Falls Church For-Profit 101 - $44,892
Empire Beauty School-Newport News Newport News For-Profit 92 - $23,921
Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing Richmond Public 79 70.4% $56,618
Chester Career College CHESTER For-Profit 79 - $32,650
Empire Beauty School-Richmond Richmond For-Profit 77 - $23,921
Another Level Barbering and Cosmetology School Petersburg For-Profit 70 - -
The Esthetic Institute Vienna For-Profit 66 - -
Jazz Barber and Hairstyling Academy Petersburg For-Profit 46 - -
Bon Secours St Mary's Hospital School of Medical Imaging Richmond Private NP 35 - $65,432
Culpeper Cosmetology Training Center Culpeper Public 34 - -
Sovah School of Health Professions Danville For-Profit 30 - $69,924
Virginia Beach City Public Schools School of Practical Nursing Virginia Beach Public 29 - -
Central School of Practical Nursing Norfolk Public 24 - $59,399
Staunton School of Cosmetology Staunton For-Profit 24 - $22,660
Avi Career Training vienna For-Profit 22 - $28,615
Cayce/Reilly School of Massage Virginia Beach Private NP 19 - $19,338
Luckes Beauty Academy LLC Newport News For-Profit 17 - -
Tomorrow's Image Barber And Beauty Academy of Virginia Newport News For-Profit 15 - -
DeVry University-Virginia Arlington For-Profit 13 - $45,987
Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics Ashland For-Profit 7 - $31,213
Virginia Barber School Richmond For-Profit 7 - -
Virginia Beach Theological Seminary Virginia Beach Private NP 1 - -
Centura College-Chesapeake Chesapeake For-Profit 0 - $25,930
Union Presbyterian Seminary Richmond Private NP - - -
Appalachian School of Law Grundy Private NP - - -
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Blacksburg Private NP - - -
Appalachian College of Pharmacy Oakwood Private NP - - -
Virginia University of Integrative Medicine Vienna Private NP - - -
University of Fairfax Salem For-Profit - - -
Virginia Christian College Dumfries Private NP - - -
University of North America Fairfax For-Profit - - -
Life Pacific University-Virginia Christiansburg Private NP - - $43,299
RAND School of Public Policy - Virginia Arlington Private NP - - -
Bluefield College - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Blacksburg Private NP - - $48,896
Bryant & Stratton College-Richmond North Chesterfield Private NP - - $32,568
Bryant & Stratton College-Hampton Hampton Private NP - - $32,568
Strayer University-Alexandria Campus Alexandria For-Profit - - $40,092
Strayer University-Newport News Campus Newport News For-Profit - - $40,092
Strayer University-Virginia Beach Campus Virginia Beach For-Profit - - $40,092
ECPI University-Newport News Newport News For-Profit - - $42,837
ECPI University-Culinary Institute of Virginia Norfolk For-Profit - - $42,837
ECPI University-Virginia Beach Health Sciences Virginia Beach For-Profit - - $42,837
ECPI University-Innsbrook Glen Allen For-Profit - - $42,837
ECPI University-Richmond West Richmond For-Profit - - $42,837
ECPI University - Roanoke Roanoke For-Profit - - $42,837
Chrysm Institute of Esthetics (The) - Hampton Hampton For-Profit - - -

Featured Colleges in Virginia

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
50,012 students
Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, VA
33,048 students
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
30,923 students
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA
27,752 students
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
20,888 students
Compare Liberty University vs Northern Virginia Community College →

Explore more Virginia data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Virginia applicants

  • Virginia has 149 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across Virginia colleges is 70.7% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.