The State Board for Virginia’s Community Colleges voted May 21 to set tuition and mandatory educational and general (E&G) fees for the academic year that begins with the Fall 2026 semester. For in-state students, tuition and mandatory E&G fees will increase $6.70 per credit hour. Out-of-state students will see an increase of $6.70per credit hour. For in-state students pursuing full-time studies (15 credit hours/semester) the 2026-27 tuition and mandatory E&G fees will amount to an increase of $100.50 per semester, or $201.00 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.
“The State Board wrestled with a tough decision, but it came down to one question—do we increase tuition rates for students or do we offer them less?” State Board Chair Dr. Michael E. Wooten asked. “We believe that we have adopted modest tuition increases that are necessary to fund the capacity to train more people for meaningful jobs while shouldering the cost increases that we all face throughout the Commonwealth.”
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.
Community colleges remain the lowest-funded higher education institutions in Virginia, receiving less than just 52 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.
A breakdown of our tuition & fees can be found here.
Additionally, Beginning Fall 2026, Virginia’s Community Colleges will introduce new per-credit-hour course fees for select Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in healthcare, skilled trades, and agriculture and natural resources.
These fees are designed to partially offset instructional costs and will be used directly to support program delivery. In an effort to help keep costs down for students, these course fees have been discounted 50% for fall 2026. For more details, visit here.
