by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Virginia Commonwealth University, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
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Cost of attendance at Virginia Commonwealth University spanned $34,346.00 to $57,510.00 based on in-state versus out-of-state status.
The lower figure reflects the in-state rate and the higher figure the out-of-state rate: about $34,346.00 in-state against $57,510.00 out-of-state.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $16,945.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $17,401.00 |
| Total cost | $34,346.00 |
| That is 78% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $34,346.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,521.00 |
| Net price | $18,825.00 |
| That is 2% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $34,346.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$21,442.00 |
| Net price | $12,904.00 |
| That is 33% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $40,109.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $17,401.00 |
| Total cost | $57,510.00 |
| That is 199% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $57,510.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,521.00 |
| Net price | $41,989.00 |
| That is 118% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $57,510.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$21,442.00 |
| Net price | $36,068.00 |
| That is 87% above the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into tuition and fees and room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by roughly 3.0% per year; the projections below compound that across a degree. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. The repayment figures use a ten-year loan at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Freshman year | $13,297.00 | $19,398.00 | $35,392.00 |
| Senior year | $14,549.00 | $21,225.00 | $38,725.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $55,668.00 | $81,211.00 | $148,168.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $21,207.00 | $30,938.00 | $56,447.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $641.00 | $935.00 | $1,705.00 |
| Total amount paid | $76,875.00 | $112,149.00 | $204,615.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Freshman year | $13,297.00 | $19,398.00 | $35,392.00 |
| Senior year | $13,702.00 | $19,989.00 | $36,470.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $26,999.00 | $39,387.00 | $71,862.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $10,286.00 | $15,005.00 | $27,377.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $311.00 | $453.00 | $827.00 |
| Total amount paid | $37,285.00 | $54,393.00 | $99,239.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Freshman year | $37,166.00 | $43,268.00 | $59,262.00 |
| Senior year | $40,667.00 | $47,343.00 | $64,843.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $155,597.00 | $181,140.00 | $248,097.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $59,277.00 | $69,008.00 | $94,516.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,791.00 | $2,085.00 | $2,855.00 |
| Total amount paid | $214,873.00 | $250,147.00 | $342,613.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Freshman year | $37,166.00 | $43,268.00 | $59,262.00 |
| Senior year | $38,298.00 | $44,586.00 | $61,066.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $75,465.00 | $87,853.00 | $120,328.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $28,749.00 | $33,469.00 | $45,841.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $868.00 | $1,011.00 | $1,385.00 |
| Total amount paid | $104,214.00 | $121,322.00 | $166,169.00 |
Read more in the net price section below.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $23,433.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $19,452.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. Here is the average net price for each family-income range:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $12,830.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $13,612.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $16,455.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,633.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $28,474.00 |
Get a tailored estimate from the Virginia Commonwealth University Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the grants & scholarships detail.
The median graduating debt at Virginia Commonwealth University comes to $17,021.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) burden tier.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $4,500.00 |
| 25th | $7,750.00 |
| Median (50th) | $17,021.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $33,000.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
Explore borrowing, repayment, and default in detail on the student loan debt detail.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,000.00 |
| Middle income | $17,500.00 |
| High income | $15,750.00 |
Borrowers from lower-income families leave school with $2,250.00 in additional median debt versus high-income graduates.
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,750.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,750.00 |
First-gen students at Virginia Commonwealth University graduate with $2,000.00 more debt than continuing-generation students.
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. Contrasting Pell and non-Pell borrowers shows how need shapes debt.
The median debt gap between Pell and non-Pell graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University amounts to $4,204.00. This institution is flagged by federal data for Pell-debt inequity.
The federal default-rate tier for Virginia Commonwealth University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 4.7% |
To put the rates in context, Stafford loans at Virginia Commonwealth University add up to $2,645,570,255.00 covering 89,639 student borrowers.
Veterans and current servicemembers may be eligible for major federal education benefits including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 722 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $14,653.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 29 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,578.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veterans benefits detail.
Beyond the data above, it helps to ask a few questions when weighing Virginia Commonwealth University, keep these questions in mind:
Explore the related pages below for a deeper look at the cost picture:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.