Virginia
Student Access & Success
Virginia’s four-year institutions receive a very high grade in this area, scoring in the top three states for completion and retention rates. The commonwealth’s two-year institutions, however, receive a low grade, scoring below average in credentials per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates, completion rate, and the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants, despite ranking in the top 10 states in retention rate.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Virginia receives a very good grade in this area for four- year institutions, with a cost per completion ($54,128) and state and local funding per completion ($27,385) that rank in the top 10 states. Virginia’s two-year institutions receive a good grade, with a cost per completion ($46,825) and state and local funding per completion ($22,045) in the top third of all states.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Virginia bachelor’s degree holder is $28,000 (or almost 88%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 3 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $10,500 (or 33%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 2 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Virginia receives an average score for its consumer information and public accountability resources but the state’s overall performance is poor. While the commonwealth does assess student learning, results are not made public and the assessments are not based on national tests. Virginia does not track student labor market outcomes.
Policy Environment
The commonwealth’s strategic plan for higher education does not have goals related to student outcomes or system efficiency. Virginia does give bonus funding if an institution increases its degree completion and retention, but this is a small add-on, not part of an institution’s base funding. Virginia’s articulation policy is vague, with a lot of discretion left to each institution regarding individual credits.
Innovation
The Virginia Community College System has developed an impressive online portal for two-year institutions that provides guidance on individual course offerings, but there is nothing comparable at the four-year level. Regarding new providers, Virginia’s regulatory trigger is not sensitive, but when triggered the approval process is among the most burdensome in the country.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
VA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | A |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 21.4 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 85.9 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 68.1 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 21.1 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
| Complete College America |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | A |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $54,128 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $27,385 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $58,019 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 5 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | A |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $28,000 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 187.5 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $21,591 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 178.8 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.4 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 6.0 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 2.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 1 |
Two-Year Institutions
VA Nat'l| Student Access & Success | D |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 41.4 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 61.7 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 17.3 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 14.1 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | B |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $46,825 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $22,045 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $37,826 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $10,537 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 132.9 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $7,600 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 127.7 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 2.1 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 3.7 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.67 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 2.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 1 |
State
VA Nat'l| Policy Environment | F |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | C |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 71% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 100% | |
| Financial Burden | 73% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 40% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | D |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 35.7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 2.5 |
Commonwealth Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 15
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 24
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 151909
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 123673