Students enrolled in Virginia’s higher education institutes can expect to spend more this year.
Tuition, instructional and auxiliary fees, and room and board have increased for full-time, in-state undergraduate students, according to an annual report from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
The average cost of tuition and fees for the 2026-2027 school year is $15,356, depending on whether a student attends a two- or four-year institution.
Students enrolled in the community college system will average about $5,250 for tuition and fees. Students at a four-year institution will pay about $16,400, not including room and board.
The report, released earlier this month, is a good tool for students to assess costs and decide what’s best for them, said Jessica Minnis-McClain, the manager of finance policy and innovation at SCHEV.
“Looking at how much a school costs and looking at what all the fees are going to be can be really eye-opening for someone,” she said.
At four-year institutions, room and board increased 4.4%. On average, students will pay $14,394. Auxiliary fees, which include campus transportation and student health services, increased 3.9%.
Athletic fees rose at a faster rate than almost any other type of fee, growing 5.5%. And, at most colleges, they make up at least a third of auxiliary fees. Old Dominion University and Virginia Tech increased athletic fees by 13.7%.
Minnis-McClain said some of that increase can be attributed to schools having to cover name, image and likeness, or NIL, and other NCAA rules.
The increases align with the spikes in the U.S. inflation rate, which was up about 3.5% year over year, according to the latest Consumer Price Index report.
Getting an associate degree at a community college and then transferring to a four-year school can save an average of $22,637, according to SCHEV’s report.
Those community colleges are a “hidden secret,” Minnis-McClain said.
Most schools have transfer agreements, and students can check which courses they’ll need for their specific degree. Minnis-McClain also suggested high school students talk with their school guidance counselors for advice. Students also should talk with their institution’s financial aid officers.
The state legislature and higher education advocates have worked to make college more affordable through financial aid and institution-specific funding, Minnis-McClain said.
“Virginia has some of the best public colleges, hands down and some of them have some great affordability, too, for students,” she said. “The state really supports and wants us to be a state where we develop talent for the future."
