The State Board for Virginia’s Community Colleges voted May 22 to set tuition and mandatory educational and general (E&G) fees for the academic year that begins with the Fall 2025 semester. For in-state students, tuition and mandatory E&G fees will increase $4.90 per credit hour. Out-of-state students will see an increase of $7.40 per credit hour. For in-state students pursuing full-time studies (15 credit hours/semester) the 2025-26 tuition and mandatory E&G fees will amount to an increase of $73.50 per semester, or $147.00 per year.
Virginia community college tuition remains less than one-third the cost of attending the state’s public four-year baccalaureate institutions, offering Virginia’s most affordable and accessible pathway to better jobs.
“Recognizing that many Virginia families face financial challenges, our Board, administrators and leaders at all of our 23 colleges across the state work hard to control costs,” said State Board Chair Terri Thompson. “These tuition increases are necessary to pay for additional costs of operating Virginia’s community colleges, including costs associated with state-mandated compensation and benefit increases, technology costs, and insurance premiums.”
Some colleges have tuition differentials and other mandatory fees covering student activities. Auxiliary operations also vary at the community college level. Check individual college websites for locally-relevant information.
“Our colleges provide high-quality programs that deliver life-changing benefits to our learners and we are committed to ensuring that our programs are affordable,” said VCCS Chancellor David Doré. “Our financial assistance programs also remove many of the financial barriers that our learners routinely encounter.”
Community colleges remain the lowest-funded higher education institutions in Virginia, receiving less than 57 cents for every one dollar that goes to support a full-time equivalent student at a public Virginia university. Additionally, expenditures per full-time student at Virginia’s Community Colleges are in the 23rd percentile in the nation, meaning 77% of community colleges across the country spend more per student.
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