Average in-state public college costs in Virginia have increased 40 percent from 2006 to 2025, the nonprofit group Virginia Public Access Project reports. In-state costs now average about $30,000 a year.
VPAP‘s data includes tuition, all mandatory fees, and average room and board, all adjusted for inflation. The College of William and Mary had the highest cost, and Virginia State University had the lowest.
The cost increases for public schools from 2006 to 2025 include:
- Christopher Newport increased from $23,277 to $29,975
- William and Mary increased from $25,061 to $43,057
- George Mason increased from $21,036 to $28,756
- James Madison increased from $20,857 to $28,139
- University of Virginia increased from $23,587 to $35,356
- Virginia State University increased from $19,703 to $23,278
- Virginia Tech increased from $18,767 to $29,426
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) reported that tuition and mandatory educational and general fees increased by 2.6 percent for in-state undergraduate students in the 2024–2025 school year. The average tuition plus mandatory fee cost is $14,460, a 2.8 percent increase. Room and board charges averaged $13,185, an increase of 4.2 percent.
According to Virginia’s Community Colleges, a state-board-governed group, in-state tuition and fees increased $4.90 per credit hour at the state’s community colleges. SCHEV reported that community college is now averaging $5,049 a year, which VCC says remains less than one-third the cost of attending a public four-year institution.
Feature image by Stephen Salpukas, courtesy William & Mary
