2026 Best Value Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools in Virginia

[Occupational Therapist Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/allied-health-medical-assisting-services/occupational-therapist-assistant/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for occupational therapist assistant students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the occupational therapist assistant degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Occupational Therapist Assistant Schools
Virginia Western Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value occupational therapist assistant schools in Virginia. Set in the city of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,400, with out-of-state students paying around $11,838. Students borrow a median of $13,715 to complete the occupational therapist assistant program here. Soon after graduation, occupational therapist assistant degree recipients from Virginia Western Community College generally make around $36,245. That is a strong return on a $13,715 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tidewater Community College earned it the #2 place for occupational therapist assistant. Set in the city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,858 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,296. Typical student debt for occupational therapist assistant graduates is $17,601. Early-career occupational therapist assistant graduates make about $29,799. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northern Virginia Community College earned it the #3 place for occupational therapist assistant. Set in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,891, while out-of-state students pay about $12,410. Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates carry a median of $14,413 in student loans. Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates of Northern Virginia Community College earn a median of $40,126 early in their careers. Set against $14,413 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southwest Virginia Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value occupational therapist assistant schools. Set in the rural area of Cedar Bluff, Southwest Virginia Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,075 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $11,513. Typical student debt for occupational therapist assistant graduates is $5,500. Soon after graduation, occupational therapist assistant degree recipients from Southwest Virginia Community College generally make around $32,327. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in occupational therapist assistant will find it at Radford University, which ranked #5. Set in the town of Radford, Radford University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,548, with out-of-state students paying around $25,633. Students borrow a median of $30,625 to complete the occupational therapist assistant program here. Soon after graduation, occupational therapist assistant degree recipients from Radford University generally make around $48,584. Set against $30,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
South Universityrichmond came in at #6 for value in occupational therapist assistant this year. Set in the suburb of Glen Allen, South Universityrichmond is a small private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $17,895. Typical student debt for occupational therapist assistant graduates is $30,694. Soon after graduation, occupational therapist assistant degree recipients from South Universityrichmond generally make around $39,761. That is a strong return on a $30,694 median debt.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.