Summary
The Appropriation Act directs the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to submit an annual report to the Governor and the chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees documenting the annual change in total charges for tuition and fees approved by the boards of visitors at Virginia public institutions of higher education (Item 4-2.01.b.4.b). The following are key findings from the 2025-26 Tuition and Fees Report.
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Tuition and mandatory educational and general (E&G) fees (those fees related to instruction and supported by the state) increased by
2.1% ($206) for in-state undergraduate students at the system level.
Mandatory non-educational and general (those fees related to non-instructional or “auxiliary” activities) increased by
3.9% ($180).
The average tuition and all mandatory fees for in-state undergraduates is $14,846 a 2.7% ($386) increase from the prior year.
Room and board charges averaged $13,671 at baccalaureate institutions, an increase of 3.7% ($530).
Total charges at baccalaureate institutions — the average sum of tuition, all mandatory fees and room and board — are $29,538 for the 2025-26 academic year, an increase of 3.1% ($898) for in-state undergraduate students.
While charges have increased, Virginia undergraduate students on average will pay
42% of the costs related to education while the state will provide
58%. This percentage remains below Virginia’s cost-share policy of covering 67% of costs.
SCHEV staff estimates that if the state had funded institutions at the level of the cost-share policy (67%) over time, tuition would have been as much as $1,900 (21%) lower than current levels.
The total charges for in-state undergraduates as a percentage of per-capita disposable income remains higher than the national average at
41.5% at baccalaureate institutions.
Students who complete an associate degree at a community college and transfer to a baccalaureate institution can save an average of $21,968 of the cost of a bachelor’s degree.
2025 – 26 Full-Time In-State Undergraduate Total Charges
