Contact:
Bob Spieldenner
(804) 225-2628
bobspieldenner@schev.edu

August 1, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RICHMOND — Tuition and mandatory fees for the 2025-26 academic year at Virginia’s public higher education institutions increased 2.1% from last year for all in-state undergraduate students, according to the annual Tuition & Fees Report released today by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) 

The following are key findings from the 2025-26 Tuition and Fees Report for in-state undergraduates.

• Institutions increased tuition and instructional fees. Tuition and mandatory educational and general (E&G) fees (those fees related to instruction and supported by the state) increased by $206 (2.1%) for in-state undergraduate students at the system level.
• State support for in-state undergraduate education remains unchanged. Virginia undergraduate students on average will pay 42% of the costs related to education while the state will provide 58%. This percentage is unchanged from last year and remains below Virginia’s cost-share policy of covering 67% of costs.

• Virginia’s in-state undergraduate total tuition and fee charges for four-year institutions as a percentage of per-capita disposable income remain higher than the national average. Virginia’s rate is 41.5% compared to 39.2% nationally, though it has decreased from the historical high of 48.6% in 2019-20.
• Total charges at baccalaureate institutions increased. The average sum of tuition, all mandatory fees and room and board are $29,538 for the 2025-26 academic year, an increase of $898 (3.1%) for in-state undergraduate students.

• Affordable options to reduce the cost of higher education are available, such as through transfer and financial aid. For example, students who complete an associate degree at a community college first and transfer to a baccalaureate institution can save an average of $21,961 of the tuition cost of a bachelor’s degree. In the 2025 legislative session, the Governor and General Assembly continued providing additional state support to higher education in the 2024-26 biennium. To mitigate the need for institutions to raise tuition and fees, and to keep college more affordable, the state provided an additional $55 million in FY 2025 for institutions to maintain affordability; $53 million for institution specific funding; and $15 million in financial aid to support students.

Notes:
1) Includes Richard  Bland College – a selective, residential, two-year college to prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges.
2)   Average charge for the majority of students at each institution, excluding tuition differentials.
The full report and all SCHEV reports are available at schev.edu/reports.

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The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is the state’s coordinating agency for higher education. Media resources including news advisories, logos and releases are available at www.schev.edu/media.