2023 Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 25 schools in Virginia to see which basic certificate programs offered the best value experiences for students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Danville Community College the best value school in Virginia for students working on their basic certificate. Danville Community College is a public institution located in Danville, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 422 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Danville Community College are $10,728 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Danville Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 59% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Danville Community College is ranked #2 for overall quality in Virginia.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Piedmont Virginia Community College is a great place for students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. PVCC is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 252 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at PVCC are $10,793 a year.
Online courses are available at PVCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 71% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
PVCC also took the #3 spot in our Best Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia rankings.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means John Tyler Community College is a great place for students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Chester, Virginia, the medium-sized public school awarded 286 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
John Tyler Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,803 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at John Tyler Community College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 61% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
John Tyler Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wytheville Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia list. Located in Wytheville, Virginia, the small public school awarded 210 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
WCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,728 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at WCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 72% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
The excellent basic certificate programs at Mountain Empire Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in Virginia. MECC is a public institution located in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 353 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at MECC are $10,713 a year.
One thing to take note of is that MECC does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 75% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #6, Southside Virginia Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their basic certificate. Alberta, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 279 students in 2020-2021.
Southside Virginia Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,698 in tuition and fees each year.
Southside Virginia Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 59% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Central Virginia Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate programs. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, the small public school awarded 371 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Central Virginia Community College are $10,841 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Central Virginia Community College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 90% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Reynolds Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia list. Reynolds Community College is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 231 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Reynolds Community College are $8,800 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Reynolds Community College. In fact, around 78% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Northern Virginia Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in Annandale, Virginia, the large public school awarded 692 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
Northern Virginia Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $11,648 in tuition and fees each year.
Northern Virginia Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 74% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Thomas Nelson Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia list. TNCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Hampton, Virginia. It awarded 147 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at TNCC are $10,809 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since TNCC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 77% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Lord Fairfax Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #11 on the list. Middletown, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 294 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lord Fairfax Community College are $10,742 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Lord Fairfax Community College. In fact, around 60% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Blue Ridge Community College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate programs. BRCC is located in Weyers Cave, Virginia and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 367 basic certificates to qualified students.
BRCC undergraduate students pay an average of $11,367 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since BRCC does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 90% took at least some of their classes online.
Virginia Highlands Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. Abingdon, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 130 students in 2020-2021.
VHCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,713 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at VHCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 79% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Southwest Virginia Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in Richlands, Virginia, the small public school handed out 183 basic certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Virginia are $10,706 per year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Southwest Virginia. In 2019-2020 about 90% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Tidewater Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, the fairly large public school awarded 841 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Tidewater Community College are $11,564 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Tidewater Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 96% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #16, Patrick Henry Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their basic certificate. This small public school is located in Martinsville, Virginia, and it awarded 95 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Patrick Henry are $10,723 per year.
Patrick Henry does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 76% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Rappahannock Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #17 on the list. RCC is a small public school situated in Glenns, Virginia. It awarded 266 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
RCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,823 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at RCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 55% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Virginia Western Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia list. Virginia Western Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Roanoke, Virginia that handed out 428 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Virginia Western Community College are $11,358 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Virginia Western Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 66% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
New River Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. New River Community College is a small public school located in Dublin, Virginia that handed out 152 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
NRCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,699 in tuition and fees each year.
NRCC does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 63% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Paul D Camp Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. This small public school is located in Franklin, Virginia, and it awarded 51 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Paul D Camp Community College are $10,733 per year.
Online courses are available at Paul D Camp Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 50% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #21, Germanna Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their basic certificate. This medium-sized public school is located in Locust Grove, Virginia, and it awarded 234 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Germanna Community College are $10,916 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Germanna Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 75% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Radford University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in Radford, Virginia, the medium-sized public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Radford are $23,624 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Radford. During the 2019-2020 year, about 87% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Radford is ranked #5 for overall quality in Virginia.
ECPI University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia list. ECPI University is a private for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
ECPI University undergraduate students pay an average of $17,479 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at ECPI University. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 44% took at least some of their classes online.
ECPI University did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia list.
Liberty University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia list. Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 391 basic certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Liberty University are $16,160 a year.
Liberty University does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
University of Richmond ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in Virginia list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 18 basic certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at URichmond are $58,570 a year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, URichmond is ranked #1 for overall quality in Virginia.
Best Value Basic Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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