List of colleges and universities in Virginia explained

This is a list of colleges and universities in the U.S. state of Virginia. The oldest college or university in Virginia is The College of William and Mary, founded in 1693. In 2010, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine became the newest. The largest institution is Liberty University, with over 110,000 students.^[1] The smallest is the graduate-only Institute for the Psychological Sciences.

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia defines four categories of degree-granting institutions of postsecondary education: public institutions,^[2] established private institutions in good standing with a nationally recognized accrediting organization,^[3] private and out-of-state institutions requiring certification^{[4] [5]} and institutions exempt from state oversight for religious reasons.^[6] Also exempt from certification are vocational institutions supervised by other state agencies, and institutions supervised by the federal government. All public institutions and most traditional private institutions are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Other state-certified private non-religious institutions are accredited by a national organization, though a few do not have any accreditation. Some small religious institutions do not have accreditation.

Public and established private institutions

Name	Location(s)^[7]	Control	Carnegie Classification	Accreditation	Founded	data-sort-type=number	Enrollment^[8]
American National University	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Masters University	ACICS	1886	1,072
Appalachian College of Pharmacy	Oakwood	Private (not for profit)	Special focus	ACPE	2003	225
Appalachian School of Law	Grundy	Private (not for profit)	Special focus	ABA	1994	313
Averett University^[9]	Danville	Private (not for profit)	Masters University	SACS	1859	965
Blue Ridge Community College	Weyers Cave	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges	SACS	1967	4,099
Bluefield University	Bluefield	Private (Baptist)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1922	1,155
Bridgewater College	Bridgewater	Private (Brethren)	Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges	SACS	1880	1,857
Brightpoint Community College	Chester	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges	SACS	1967	10,144
Central Virginia Community College	Lynchburg	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges	SACS	1966	4,047
Christendom College	Front Royal	Private (Catholic)	Uncategorized	SACS	1977	493
Christopher Newport University	Newport News	Public	Masters University	SACS	1960	4,957
College of William and Mary	Williamsburg	Public	Research university	SACS	1693	8,817
Danville Community College	Danville	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1936	3,982
Divine Mercy University	Sterling	Private (not for profit)	Doctoral University	SACS	1999	360
Eastern Mennonite University	Harrisonburg	Private (Mennonite)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1917	1,444
Eastern Shore Community College	Melfa	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1971	839
Eastern Virginia Medical School	Norfolk	Private (not for profit)	Doctoral University	SACS	1973	790
ECPI University	Multiple^[10]	Private (for profit)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1966	12,764
Emory and Henry College	Emory	Private (Methodist)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1836	1,246
Fairfax University of America	Fairfax	Private (not for profit)	Masters University	ACICS	1998	282
Ferrum College	Ferrum	Private (Methodist)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1913	1,124
George Mason University	Fairfax	Public	Research university	SACS	1957	37,316
George Washington University	Multiple	Private (not for profit)	Research university	MSCHE	1821	28,172
Germanna Community College	Locust Grove	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1970	7,207
Hampden-Sydney College	Hampden Sydney	Private (not for profit)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1775	1,072
Hampton University	Hampton	Private (not for profit)	Masters University	SACS	1868	4,321
Hollins University	Roanoke	Private (not for profit)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1842	805
Institute for the Psychological Sciences	Arlington	Private (Catholic)	Doctoral University	SACS	1997	145
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College	Richmond	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges	SACS	1972	11,861
James Madison University	Harrisonburg	Public	Research university	SACS	1908	21,787
Jefferson College of Health Sciences	Roanoke	Private	Doctoral University	SACS	1982	1,128
Laurel Ridge Community College	Middletown	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges	SACS	1970	6,996
Liberty University	Lynchburg	Private (Baptist)	Research university	SACS	1971	79,152
Longwood University	Farmville	Public	Masters University	SACS	1839	4,911
Marine Corps University^[11]	Quantico	Public (United States Marine Corps)	Uncategorized	SACS	1989	Unknown
Mary Baldwin University	Staunton	Private	Masters University	SACS	1842	1,902
Marymount University	Arlington	Private (Catholic)	Masters University	SACS	1950	3,418
Mountain Empire Community College	Big Stone Gap	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1972	2,718
Mountain Gateway Community College	Clifton Forge	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1964	1,257
National College	Multiple	Private	Junior college	ACICS	1886	14,625
New River Community College	Dublin	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1959	4,419
Norfolk State University	Norfolk	Public	Masters University	SACS	1935	5,616
Northern Virginia Community College	Annandale	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1964	51,487
Old Dominion University	Norfolk	Public	Research university	SACS	1930	24,176
Patrick & Henry Community College	Martinsville	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1962	2,900
Paul D. Camp Community College	Franklin	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1970	1,288
Piedmont Virginia Community College	Charlottesville	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1972	5,445
Radford University	Radford	Public	Masters University	SACS	1910	9,335
Randolph College	Lynchburg	Private	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1891	626
Randolph–Macon College	Ashland	Private	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1830	1,488
Rappahannock Community College	Glenns, Warsaw	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1969	3,082
Regent University	Virginia Beach	Private (Christian)	Doctoral Universities	SACS	1977	10,456
Richard Bland College	Petersburg	Public (Junior college associated with the College of William and Mary)	Junior college	SACS	1960	2,475
Roanoke College	Salem	Private (Lutheran)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1842	2,017
Sentara College of Health Sciences	Chesapeake	Private (not for profit)	Baccalaureate college	ABHES	1892	475
Shenandoah University	Winchester	Private (Methodist)	Masters University	SACS	1875	3,817
Southside Virginia Community College	Alberta, Keysville	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1970	5,352
Southwest Virginia Community College	Richlands	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1968	2,373
Sweet Briar College	Sweet Briar	Private (not for profit)	Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges	SACS	1901^[12]	337
Tidewater Community College	Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1968	20,941
Union Presbyterian Seminary	Richmond	Private (Presbyterian)	Special focus	ATS	1896	146
University of Lynchburg	Lynchburg	Private (Disciples)	Masters University	SACS	1903	3,081
University of Management and Technology	Arlington	Private (for profit)	Baccalaureate college	DETC	1998	251
University of Mary Washington	Fredericksburg	Public	Masters university	SACS	1908	4,727
University of the Potomac	Washington DC, Vienna, VA, online	Private (for profit)	Doctoral University	SACS	1989	1652
University of Richmond	Richmond	Private (not for profit)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1830	4,002
University of Virginia	Charlottesville	Public	Research university	SACS	1819	24,639
University of Virginia's College at Wise	Wise	Public (University of Virginia)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1954	2,065
Virginia Commonwealth University	Richmond	Public	Research university	SACS	1838	31,076
Virginia Highlands Community College	Abingdon	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1969	2,387
Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine	Blacksburg	Public (Jointly by Virginia Tech & University of Maryland)	Masters University	SACS	1978	700
Virginia Military Institute	Lexington	Public	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1839	1,685
Virginia Peninsula Community College	Hampton	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1968	7,685
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)	Blacksburg	Public	Research university	SACS	1872	34,850
Virginia State University	Petersburg	Public	Masters University	SACS	1882	4,385
Virginia Union University	Richmond	Private (Baptist)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1865	1,561
Virginia University of Lynchburg	Lynchburg	Private (Virginia Community College System)	Private college		1886	1,500
Virginia University of Science & Technology	McLean	Private (for profit)	Masters University	Unaccredited	2016	Unknown
Virginia Wesleyan University	Norfolk	Private (Methodist)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1961	1,437
Virginia Western Community College	Roanoke	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1966	6,827
Washington and Lee University	Lexington	Private (not for profit)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1749	2,223
Wytheville Community College	Wytheville	Public (Virginia Community College System)	Junior college	SACS	1963	2,514

Private and out-of-state institutions

School	Location(s)	Control	Type^[13]	Accreditation	Founded	data-sort-type=number	Enrollment
ACT College	Arlington	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	ABHES	1983	401
Advanced Institute of Technology^[14]	Virginia Beach	Private (for profit)	Uncategorized	ACCSC	1992	1040
American Digital University^[15]	Sterling	Private (for profit)	Uncategorized	none	Unknown	Unknown
American Public University System	Manassas^[16]	Private (for profit)	Masters University	HLC	1991	Unknown
Appalachian College of Pharmacy	Oakwood	Private (not for profit)	Special focus	SACS, ACPE	2003	207
Aviation Institute of Maintenance^[17] ^[18]	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Associate's college	ACCSC	1969	509
Bethel College^[19]	Hampton	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	none	1887	76
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing^[20]	Richmond	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	ACICS	1961	300
Boston University Metropolitan College	Arlington	Private (Methodist)	Research university	NEASC	1965	Unknown
Bryant & Stratton College	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Baccalaureate college	MSCHE	1854	1852
Cambridge College	Chesapeake	Private (not for profit)	Masters University	NEASC	1971	2,234
Catholic Distance University	Hamilton	Private (Catholic)	Uncategorized	DETC	1983	203
Catholic University of America	Alexandria	Private (Catholic)	Research university	MSCHE	1887	5,956
Central Michigan University	Multiple	Public	Research university	HLC	1892	21,705
Central Texas College	Fort Gregg-Adams	Public	Associate's college	SACS	1965	16,073
Centura College^[21]	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Career College	ACCSC	1983	1927
Chamberlain College of Nursing	Arlington	Private (for profit)	Special focus	HLC	1889	Unknown
Columbia College^[22]	Fairfax	Private (for profit)	Associate's college	COE	1999	310
DeVry University	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Masters University	HLC	1931	1868
Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine	Blacksburg	Private (not for profit)	Special focus	COCA	2002	759
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University	Norfolk	Private	Masters University	SACS	1926	6,613
Everest College	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Associate's college	ACICS	2007	2,251
Florida Institute of Technology	Multiple	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	SACS	1958	6,291
Fortis College	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Associate's college	ACICS	2008	942
Georgetown University	Arlington	Private (not for profit)	Research university	MSCHE	1789	19,204
Global Health College^[23]	Alexandria	Private (for profit)	Associate's college	none	2004	276
HyperLearning Technologies, Inc.^[24]	Virginia Beach	Private (for profit)	Uncategorized	none	1995	Unknown
International College of Washington^[25]	Annandale	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	none	1966	Unknown
Johns Hopkins University	Arlington	Private (for profit)	Research university	MSCHE	1876	26,152
Kaplan College	Chesapeake	Private (for profit)	Associate's college	ACICS	1938	574
Kings Park University School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine^[26]	Cedar Bluff	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	none	Unknown	Unknown
Life Pacific University	Christiansburg	Private (Pentecostal)	Special focus	WASC-ACCJC	1923	619
Lindsey Wilson College School of Professional Counseling	Richlands	Private (Methodist)	Uncategorized	SACS	1903	Unknown
Medtech Institute	Falls Church	Private (for profit)	Uncategorized	COE	1939	531
Mercyhurst University	McLean	Private (Catholic)	Masters University	MSCHE	1926	2,705
Missouri State University	Fairfax	Public	Masters University	HLC	1906	23,697
The National Graduate School^[27]	Arlington	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	NEASC	1909	Unknown
National Massage Therapy Institute^[28]	Falls Church	Private	Uncategorized	ABHES	1998	Unknown
Nova Southeastern University	Roanoke	Private	Research university	SACS	1964	20,435
Patrick Henry College^[29]	Purcellville	Private (not for profit)	Baccalaureate college	TRACS	2000	325
Potomac College	Herndon	Private (for profit)	Baccalaureate college	MSCHE	1901	40
Reformed Theological Seminary	McLean	Private (Christian)	Faith-related Institution	ATS	1966	Unknown
Saint Leo University	Multiple	Private (Catholic)	Masters University	SACS	1889	5,232
Saint Michael College of Allied Health^[30]	Alexandria	Private (for profit)	Uncategorized	none	1971	193
Sanford-Brown College	Vienna	Private (for profit)	Baccalaureate college	ACICS	1920	744
Skyline College	Roanoke	Private (for profit)	Associate's college	ACCSC	1969	355
South Baylo University^[31]	Annandale	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	none	1977	410
South University	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1867	536
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	Virginia Beach	Public	Research university	HLC	Unknown	Unknown
Southern Virginia University	Buena Vista	Private (for profit)	Baccalaureate college	SACS	1867	1,035
Southside Regional Medical Center Professional Schools^[32]	Petersburg	Private (for profit)	Uncategorized	JRCERT	1895	131
Strayer University	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Masters University	MSCHE	1892	12,918
University of Fairfax	Vienna	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	DETC	2002	Unknown
University of Maryland Global Campus, formerly UMUC	Fort Belvoir	Public	Research university	MSCHE	1807	Unknown
University of North America^[33]	Vienna	Private (for profit)	Uncategorized	ACICS	2008	310
University of Phoenix	Multiple	Private	Special focus	HLC	Unknown	1172
University of Valley Forge	Woodbridge	Private (Assemblies)	Baccalaureate college	MSCHE	Unknown	Unknown
Virginia College^[34]	Richmond	Private (for profit)	Uncategorized	ACICS	1983	Unknown
Virginia School of Massage^[35]	Charlottesville	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	ACCSC	1995	Unknown
Virginia School of Nursing & Medical Institute^[36]	Springfield	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	none	1901	Unknown
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine	Roanoke	Public/ private	Uncategorized	none	2010	Unknown
Virginia University of Lynchburg	Lynchburg	Private (not for profit)	Special focus	TRACS	1886	555
Virginia University of Oriental Medicine^[37]	Fairfax	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	none	2004	Unknown
Washington Baptist University^[38]	Annandale	Private (Baptist)	Uncategorized	none	Unknown	Unknown
Washington University of Science and Technology,^[39] formerly IGlobal University	Alexandria	Private (for profit)	Masters University	ACCSC	2008	4221
Webster University	Fort Belvoir	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	HLC	1915	Unknown
Westwood College Of Technology	Multiple	Private (for profit)	Baccalaureate / Associate's college	ACICS	1953	1043
William Samson University	Alexandria	Private (not for profit)	Doctoral university	None	2012	Unknown
World College	Virginia Beach	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	DETC	1992	Unknown

Primarily religious institutions

School	Location(s)	Control	Type	Accreditation	Founded	Enrollment
Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond	Richmond	Private (not for profit)	Special focus	ATS	1991	63
Cordoba University	Ashburn	Private (Islamic)	Uncategorized	none	Unknown	Unknown
Hartland College	Rapidan	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	none	1983	Unknown
John Leland Center for Theological Studies	Falls Church	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	none	1998	Unknown
Union Presbyterian Seminary	Richmond	Private (not for profit)	Special focus	ATS	2012	146
Virginia Theological Seminary	Alexandria	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	ATS	1818	216
Washington Bible College and Capital Bible Seminary (Springfield Extension)	Springfield	Private (not for profit)	Uncategorized	none	1958	Unknown
William Samson University	Alexandria	Private (not for profit)	Doctoral university	None	2012	Unknown

Defunct institutions

School	Location(s)	Founded	Closed
American College of Commerce and Technology	Falls Church	2010	2017
Argosy University - Washington D.C. area	Arlington		2019
The Art Institute of Washington	Arlington	2000	2018
	Front Royal and Manassas	1902	1920
Elizabeth College	Salem	1826	1922
Fauquier Institute	Warrenton	1860
Medtech College	Fairfax	1939	2016
Richmond School of Health and Technology^[40]	Multiple	1997
Saint Paul's College	Lawrenceville	1888	2013
Southeast Culinary & Hospitality College^[41]	Bristol	unknown
Stratford College	Danville	1854	1974
	Multiple	1976	2022
Sullins College	Bristol	1868	1976
University of Northern Virginia	Annandale	1998	2014
Virginia Intermont College	Bristol	1884	2014^[42]

See also

• Higher education in the United States
• List of college athletic programs in Virginia
• List of American institutions of higher education
• List of recognized higher education accreditation organizations
• List of colleges and universities
• List of colleges and universities by country

References and notes

General

• Web site: The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education . Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching . 2011-10-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080822012422/http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/ . 2008-08-22 .
• Web site: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. National Center for Education Statistics. 2011-10-05.

Specific

1. Web site: Liberty University Quick Facts - About Liberty - Liberty University. www.liberty.edu. 5 April 2018.
2. Web site: Public Colleges & Universities Authorized to Operate in Virginia. State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 2011-10-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20110926085139/http://www.schev.edu/students/PublicCollegeList.asp. 2011-09-26. dead.
3. Web site: Private Institutions exempt from certification. State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 2011-10-05. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111003192710/http://www.schev.edu/students/PrivateExempt.asp. 2011-10-03.
4. Web site: Explanation of Certification. State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 2011-10-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20110929201050/http://www.schev.edu/students/certification.asp. 2011-09-29. dead.
5. Web site: Private & Out-of-State Colleges & Universities Certified to Operate in Virginia . State Council of Higher Education for Virginia . 2011-10-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110929200937/http://www.schev.edu/Students/PrivateCollegeList.asp . 2011-09-29 .
6. Web site: Private Institutions that Confer Religious Degrees. State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. 2011-10-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20111207210539/http://www.schev.edu/students/PrivateReligious.asp. 2011-12-07. dead.
7. Primary campus for Virginia-based institutions.
8. Enrollment as of 2009; data is from IPEDS unless otherwise noted.
9. Averett University's non-traditional programs are listed separately in IPEDS; enrollment numbers are combined here.
10. SCHEV lists multiple locations.
11. http://www.schev.edu/SCHEV/Agenda/AgendaBookMar02/AgendaBookMar02.pdf Not supervised by SCHEV
12. Web site: Sweet Briar College . Sbc.edu . 2015-12-01.
13. School types are based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. "Uncategorized" indicates they are not listed by Carnegie.
14. Web site: Advanced Technology Institute . Auto.edu . 2012-10-16.
15. Web site: 2011-01-17. ACCT: American College of Commerce and Technology. 2012-10-16. Acct2day.org.
16. APUS is an online university. The Manassas office is administrative.
17. IPEDS lists multiple locations in Virginia; enrollment numbers are combined here.
18. Web site: Aviation Institute Of Maintenance . Aviationmaintenance.edu . 2012-10-16.
19. Web site: Home . Bethel-college.com . 2012-10-16.
20. Web site: Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing . Bsmcon.edu . 2012-09-25 . 2012-10-16.
21. Web site: Centura College Career School . Centuracollege.edu . 2012-10-16.
22. Web site: Columbia College Washington D.C . Ccdc.edu . 2012-10-16.
23. Web site: Welcome to Global Health College! - Global Health College | Global Health College . Ghnts.com . 2012-10-16.
24. Web site: Computer training and certification center in Virginia Beach - Hyperlearning Technologies . Hyperlearn.com . 2012-10-16.
25. Web site: International College of Washington . Intcw.com . 2012-10-16.
26. Web site: Kings Park University | School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine . Kpu.us . 2012-10-16.
27. Web site: NGS | The National Graduate School of Quality Management | National Graduate School . Ngs.edu . 2012-10-16.
28. Web site: Massage Therapy Training | School of Massage Therapy | NMTI . Studymassage.com . 2012-05-21 . 2012-10-16.
29. Web site: Patrick Henry College Essentials. 2011-10-05.
30. Web site: index . Stmichaelcollegeva.us . 2012-10-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120917114343/http://www.stmichaelcollegeva.us/ . 2012-09-17 . dead .
31. Web site: [Home page]]. South Baylo University.
32. Web site: srmconline.org . srmconline.org . 2012-10-16.
33. Web site: University of North America . Uona.edu . 2014-10-21.
34. Web site: Associate Degree, College Degrees - Virginia College . Vc.edu . 2012-10-16.
35. Web site: Virginia School of Massage - Massage Therapy Schools . VASOM . 2015-12-01.
36. Web site: VSNMI . 2011-10-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110202190441/http://vsnmi.com/ . 2011-02-02 . dead .
37. Web site: Virginia University of Oriental Medicine | VUOM Site . Vuom.org . 2015-12-01.
38. Web site: Washington Baptist University . 2011-10-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110916193309/http://www.wbcs.edu/ . 2011-09-16 .
39. Web site: IGlobal University . IGlobal University . 2012-10-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121023225213/https://www.igu.edu/ . 2012-10-23 .
40. Web site: Home. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120706130655/http://www.rsht.edu/. 2012-07-06. 2012-10-16. Rsht.edu.
41. Web site: Southeast Culinary & Hospitality College. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121015072558/http://www.southeastculinary.edu/. 2012-10-15. 2012-10-16. Southeastculinary.edu.
42. Web site: Virginia Intermont closes after 130 years . 2016-05-05.