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2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Virginia
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 23 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for trade school students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in Virginia
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Danville Community College to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in Virginia. Danville Community College is located in Danville, Virginia and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 210 associate degrees to qualified students.
Danville Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,728 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $11,262 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Danville Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 49% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Danville Community College also took the #1 spot in our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Virginia rankings.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Reynolds Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree 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 1,104 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Reynolds Community College are $11,001 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,943 in student loans.
Reynolds 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 2020-2021 about 65% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Thomas Nelson Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Virginia list. Located in Hampton, Virginia, the medium-sized public school awarded 809 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
TNCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,809 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,524 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that TNCC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 74% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
TNCC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Virginia list.
The excellent associate degree programs at Wytheville Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in Virginia. Located in Wytheville, Virginia, the small public school awarded 272 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WCC are $10,728 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,399 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at WCC. During the 2020-2021 year, about 61% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent associate degree programs at Northern Virginia Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in Virginia. Northern Virginia Community College is a large public school situated in Annandale, Virginia. It awarded 5,692 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northern Virginia Community College are $11,648 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,263 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 63% took at least some of their classes online.
Northern Virginia Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Virginia list.
With a ranking of #6, John Tyler Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Chester, Virginia, the medium-sized public school handed out 982 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at John Tyler Community College are $10,803 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,270 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
John Tyler Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 56% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
New River Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. NRCC is a small public school situated in Dublin, Virginia. It awarded 494 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NRCC are $10,699 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,123 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at NRCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 59% took at least some of their classes online.
Piedmont Virginia Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the medium-sized public school awarded 485 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
PVCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,793 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,863 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
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 2020-2021 about 56% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Central Virginia Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. This small public school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 405 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Central Virginia Community College are $10,856 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $8,271 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Central Virginia Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 54% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #10, Virginia Highlands Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Abingdon, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 286 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at VHCC are $10,728 a year.
VHCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 60% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Mountain Empire Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #11 on the list. MECC is a public institution located in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 286 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MECC are $10,728 per year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at MECC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Virginia Western Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Virginia Western Community College is a public institution located in Roanoke, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 654 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Virginia Western Community College are $11,106 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,129 in student loans.
Virginia Western 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. During the 2020-2021 year, about 55% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Tidewater Community College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. This fairly large public school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 2,216 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Tidewater Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $11,564 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,855 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Tidewater Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 82% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Blue Ridge Community College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. This small public school is located in Weyers Cave, Virginia, and it awarded 441 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at BRCC are $11,367 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,633 in loans while pursuing their degree.
BRCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 62% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Southwest Virginia Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. Southwest Virginia is a public institution located in Cedar Bluff, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 322 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Southwest Virginia are $10,736 a year.
Online courses are available at Southwest Virginia, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 78% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Lord Fairfax Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Virginia list. Lord Fairfax Community College is located in Middletown, Virginia and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 790 associate degrees to qualified students.
Lord Fairfax Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,742 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,394 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Lord Fairfax Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 50% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Radford University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 68 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Radford are $24,453 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,557 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Radford. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 66% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Radford is ranked #3 for overall quality in Virginia.
South University, Virginia Beach did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #19 on the list. South University, Virginia Beach is a very small private for-profit school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 23 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South University, Virginia Beach are $16,560 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,698 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at South University, Virginia Beach. In fact, around 46% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, South University, Virginia Beach is ranked #4 for overall quality in Virginia.
ECPI University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the fairly large private for-profit school awarded 1,812 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ECPI University are $18,484 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $20,059 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at ECPI University. In fact, around 47% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #21, American National University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Salem, Virginia, the small private for-profit school awarded 64 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at American National University are $10,856 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,215 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
American National University is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Liberty University landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 1,156 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Liberty University are $16,203 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $25,145 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Liberty University does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 87% took at least some of their classes online.
Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 313 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach are $17,211 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,863 in student loans.
Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach 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, 47% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Best Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 23 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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