2023 Best Value Undergraduate 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 38 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best value undergraduate certificate programs for students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Northern Virginia Community College to be the best value school for students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Virginia. Northern Virginia Community College is a large public school situated in Annandale, Virginia. It awarded 2,179 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Northern Virginia Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $11,648 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $16,425 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Northern Virginia Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 74% took at least some of their classes online.
Northern Virginia Community College also made our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #2.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Germanna Community College is a great place for students working on their undergraduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Germanna Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Locust Grove, Virginia that handed out 753 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Germanna Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,916 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,272 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Germanna Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 75% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Germanna Community College also took the #5 spot in our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia rankings.
The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at John Tyler Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in Virginia. This medium-sized public school is located in Chester, Virginia, and it awarded 333 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at John Tyler Community College are $10,803 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,030 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
John Tyler 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 61% took at least some of their classes online.
John Tyler Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list.
Out of the 38 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s value ranking, Danville Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in Danville, Virginia, the small public school handed out 347 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Danville Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,728 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,448 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Danville 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 59% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at Southside Virginia Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in Virginia. Alberta, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 216 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southside Virginia Community College are $10,698 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $10,858 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Southside Virginia Community College. In fact, around 59% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Piedmont Virginia Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate programs. PVCC is a small public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 406 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at PVCC are $10,793 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $14,872 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at PVCC. In 2019-2020 about 71% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Dabney S Lancaster Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in Clifton Forge, Virginia, the small public school awarded 100 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
DSLCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,713 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,408 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at DSLCC. In fact, around 61% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #8, Patrick Henry Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Patrick Henry is a public institution located in Martinsville, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 239 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Patrick Henry are $10,723 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,761 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Patrick Henry. During the 2019-2020 year, about 76% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Mountain Empire Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. Mountain Empire Community College is a small public school located in Big Stone Gap, Virginia that handed out 174 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
MECC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,713 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $10,481 in loans while pursuing their degree.
MECC 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 75% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #9, Wytheville Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. WCC is a small public school situated in Wytheville, Virginia. It awarded 135 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WCC are $10,728 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $12,447 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at WCC. In fact, around 72% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #11, Reynolds Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Reynolds Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 71 undergraduate 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. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $19,687 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Reynolds Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 78% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Blue Ridge Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list. Located in Weyers Cave, Virginia, the small public school handed out 290 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at BRCC are $11,367 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $14,203 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that BRCC does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 90% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #13, Virginia Highlands Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. VHCC is a public institution located in Abingdon, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 224 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at VHCC are $10,713 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,445 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at VHCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #14, Central Virginia Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Central Virginia Community College is a small public school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 401 undergraduate certificates 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. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,389 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Central Virginia Community College. In 2019-2020 about 90% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Rappahannock Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list. RCC is a public institution located in Glenns, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 212 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
RCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,823 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $12,247 in loans while pursuing their degree.
RCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 55% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Paul D Camp Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. This small public school is located in Franklin, Virginia, and it awarded 28 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Paul D Camp Community College are $10,733 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,532 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Paul D Camp 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 50% took at least some of their classes online.
Thomas Nelson Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #17 on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Hampton, Virginia, and it awarded 153 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at TNCC are $10,809 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $20,849 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at TNCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 77% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #18, Southwest Virginia Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in Richlands, Virginia, the small public school awarded 112 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Southwest Virginia undergraduate students pay an average of $10,706 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,672 in student loans.
Southwest Virginia does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 90% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
New River Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #19 on the list. This small public school is located in Dublin, Virginia, and it awarded 110 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
NRCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,699 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,464 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that NRCC does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 63% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the large public school handed out 44 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia undergraduate students pay an average of $54,438 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at University of Virginia. In 2019-2020 about 100% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Virginia also made our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #1.
Tidewater Community College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate programs. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, the fairly large public school handed out 57 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Tidewater Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $11,564 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,837 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Tidewater Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 96% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Lord Fairfax Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in Middletown, Virginia, the medium-sized public school handed out 388 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lord Fairfax Community College are $10,742 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $16,099 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Lord Fairfax Community College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 60% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Virginia Western Community College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate programs. Virginia Western Community College is a public institution located in Roanoke, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 36 undergraduate 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. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,905 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Virginia Western Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 66% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Old Dominion University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list. This large public school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 53 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Old Dominion are $30,960 per year.
Old Dominion does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Radford University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking. Radford is located in Radford, Virginia and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Radford undergraduate students pay an average of $23,624 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at Radford, 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 87% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Radford also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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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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