Public Associate Strong 72/100

New River Community College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Dublin, Virginia

About New River Community College

Thinking about New River Community College, a college in Virginia where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

New River Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Dublin, Virginia. It enrolls 1,965 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
27.3%
Net Price
$6,279
Median Earnings (10yr)
$40,025
Enrollment
1,965
Student : Faculty
32:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
72/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 56
Value 79
Affordability 46
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, New River Community College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $6,279 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$6,279
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
23%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
3%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,979
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,417
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,000
Books & Supplies
$2,000
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,000
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,864

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $4,883
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $5,363
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $7,993
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $9,931
  • Over $110,000
    $12,263

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,750
10% percentile
$2,777
25% percentile
$9,000
Median percentile
$9,794
75% percentile
$16,970
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $6,418 ↓ $2,582
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $3,500
Dependent students $5,417 ↓ $3,583
Independent students $7,907 ↓ $1,093
Female students $6,206 ↓ $2,794
Male students $5,500 ↓ $3,500
Pell recipients: 17.4% (1,563 students)No Pell: 14.9% (1,340 students)Dependent students: 14.7% (1,320 students)Independent students: 21.4% (1,926 students)Female students: 16.8% (1,512 students)Male students: 14.9% (1,340 students)Overall Median$9,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,000, less than completers ($9,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

27% of students who start here finish within six years, and 68% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
27%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
68%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $40,025 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$40,025
Earning > $25K
65%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$32,000$34,000$36,000$39,000$41,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$29,500

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$43,300

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$32,500

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$37,000

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$48,100

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $13,800, about 32% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 17.8 pts across 6 years
52.2%1yr54.4%3yr63.9%5yr70.1%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 70% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,965 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 43% are the first in their family to go to college, and 45% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
1,965
Part-Time
45%
First-Generation
43%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 80.4% 1,579
Hispanic 5.3% 105
Other 4.5% 88
Black 4.2% 82
Asian 1.7% 34
International 1.2% 24
White: 80.4% (1,579 students)Hispanic: 5.3% (105 students)Other: 4.5% (88 students)Black: 4.2% (82 students)Asian: 1.7% (34 students)International: 1.2% (24 students)Total1,965

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at New River Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Distant Dublin, Virginia
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
17% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

New River Community College offers a varied set of programs: 21 distinct programs across 9 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

2 Programs
4 Programs
5 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 32 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.

Student : Faculty
32:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,317
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$18M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$76,279
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

46 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 16 35% $84,561
Associate Professors 8 17% $73,560
Assistant Professors 15 33% $73,564
Instructors 7 15% $66,276

Pros & Cons of New River Community College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where New River Community College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Open admissions
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for: Based on the data, New River Community College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about New River Community College

The questions families ask most about New River Community College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is New River Community College hard to get into?
Not especially. New River Community College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at New River Community College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does New River Community College cost?
Budget around $6,279 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is New River Community College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $40,025 a year against a net price of $6,279, about 6.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is New River Community College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do New River Community College graduates earn?
About $40,025 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is New River Community College accredited?
Yes. New River Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend New River Community College?
1,965 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at New River Community College?
27% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is New River Community College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is New River Community College located?
New River Community College is located in Dublin, Virginia.
What programs does New River Community College offer?
21 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at New River Community College?
32 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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