Best Community & Career Colleges in Virginia by Salary Potential

Want to further your education but not worry about student loan payments? Check out Virginia’s best two-year colleges by graduate salary.

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RankSchool NameSchool SectorEarly Career Pay
Mid-Career Pay
% High Meaning
% STEM Degrees
Rank:1School Name:Northern Virginia Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$55,100Mid-Career Pay:$82,000% High Meaning:60%% STEM Degrees:16%
Rank:2School Name:Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversitySchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$55,400Mid-Career Pay:$81,500% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:42%
Rank:3School Name:Norfolk State UniversitySchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$52,400Mid-Career Pay:$77,600% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:17%
Rank:4School Name:Regent UniversitySchool Sector:Private not-for-profitEarly Career Pay:$50,000Mid-Career Pay:$75,600% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:1%
Rank:5School Name:Piedmont Virginia Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$50,000Mid-Career Pay:$74,000% High Meaning:62%% STEM Degrees:4%
Rank:6School Name:Laurel Ridge Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$48,800Mid-Career Pay:$73,500% High Meaning:55%% STEM Degrees:3%
Rank:7School Name:Dabney S Lancaster Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$50,400Mid-Career Pay:$73,300% High Meaning:58%% STEM Degrees:1%
Rank:8School Name:Brightpoint Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$48,900Mid-Career Pay:$71,600% High Meaning:61%% STEM Degrees:5%
Rank:9School Name:Liberty UniversitySchool Sector:Private not-for-profitEarly Career Pay:$47,500Mid-Career Pay:$70,900% High Meaning:62%% STEM Degrees:4%
Rank:10School Name:Virginia Western Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$47,500Mid-Career Pay:$70,400% High Meaning:61%% STEM Degrees:7%
Rank:11School Name:J Sargeant Reynolds Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$48,500Mid-Career Pay:$69,400% High Meaning:57%% STEM Degrees:6%
Rank:12School Name:New River Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$48,100Mid-Career Pay:$69,100% High Meaning:66%% STEM Degrees:2%
Rank:13School Name:Richard Bland CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$46,100Mid-Career Pay:$68,900% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:81%
Rank:14School Name:Germanna Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$48,200Mid-Career Pay:$68,700% High Meaning:65%% STEM Degrees:3%
Rank:15School Name:Paul D Camp Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$46,800Mid-Career Pay:$68,600% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:0%
Rank:16School Name:Blue Ridge Community College (Virginia)School Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$44,700Mid-Career Pay:$67,700% High Meaning:59%% STEM Degrees:2%
Rank:17School Name:Rappahannock Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$49,100Mid-Career Pay:$67,200% High Meaning:63%% STEM Degrees:2%
Rank:18School Name:Tidewater Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$45,700Mid-Career Pay:$66,900% High Meaning:62%% STEM Degrees:7%
Rank:19School Name:Patrick Henry Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$43,300Mid-Career Pay:$66,100% High Meaning:52%% STEM Degrees:2%
Rank:19School Name:Wytheville Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$44,100Mid-Career Pay:$66,100% High Meaning:62%% STEM Degrees:1%
Rank:21School Name:Virginia Peninsula Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$44,800Mid-Career Pay:$65,700% High Meaning:60%% STEM Degrees:7%
Rank:22School Name:Central Virginia Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$42,100Mid-Career Pay:$65,500% High Meaning:55%% STEM Degrees:1%
Rank:23School Name:Mountain Empire Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$43,200Mid-Career Pay:$65,300% High Meaning:58%% STEM Degrees:4%
Rank:24School Name:Southwest Virginia Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$44,800Mid-Career Pay:$64,500% High Meaning:62%% STEM Degrees:1%
Rank:25School Name:Virginia Highlands Community CollegeSchool Sector:PublicEarly Career Pay:$40,800Mid-Career Pay:$61,700% High Meaning:49%% STEM Degrees:3%

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College Student

Two of the best colleges in Virginia when it comes to healthcare, both Tidewater Community College and Northern Virginia Community College are well known for their nursing programs, and medical fields offer some of the best job opportunities in the state. The goal of this report is provide you with valuable data on what colleges will provide you not only with a solid academic return on your degree, but also help you to meet your post-grad financial goals.

John Tyler Community College is the smallest two-year school, with about 10,000 students. They are also tied with Northern Virginia for highest early-career salary. Northern Virginia Community College’s 50,000 students make their school nearly five times as large.

The first peanuts grown in the country were grown in Virginia, and the food industry is still one of the main industries. Energy, IT and automotive industries are also important to the state. Birthplace to eight presidents, and the site of the first successful English colony, politics and government have always played an important role in the state. Many Virginia graduates find employment with the United States government the employer for around one fourth of the state.