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Key Takeaways
Northern Virginia is one of the densest tech job markets in the country, Amazon AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Capital One all have major offices
Arlington-area CS salaries average $138,710, fueled by both Big Tech and the defense/intel sector (Northrop Grumman, Leidos, SAIC, General Dynamics)
Hakia Research 2026
Virginia Tech ranks #1 (score 88.9) with a 95% graduation rate and CAE-R designation at $12,698/yr in-state tuition
University of Virginia (score 88.3, 96% grad rate) is a close second at $18,823/yr, both are nationally recognized CS programs
Virginia CS graduates earn a $126,100 median salary, 21% above the national average
Even Richmond ($126,100) and Norfolk ($119,795) offer salaries well above the national median
George Mason University offers strong value at $10,095/yr with CAE-CDE and CAE-R designations, located in the NoVA hiring corridor
55 total programs statewide include 23 online options and 6 doctoral programs for advanced study
Northern Virginia Community College starts at $5,550/yr with a CAE-2Y designation and direct transfer agreements to Virginia's public universities
21 associate's programs across the VCCS system keep tuition around $4,758-$5,550/yr statewide
Updated July 13, 2026
How we ranked Virginia Computer Science programs
We rank 72 accredited computer science programs in Virginia using IPEDS 2024 institutional data, BLS OEWS 2024 state salary data, and College Scorecard outcomes. A 4-factor weighted composite is normalized to a 0–100 score. Schools cannot pay for placement; rankings are produced algorithmically.
Are Computer Science Degree Programs in Virginia Worth It?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Computer Science Degree Rankings in Virginia
Compare the top-ranked Computer Science programs in Virginia by degree level. Tuition, graduation rate, and Hakia Score for every accredited program.
Best Associate's Computer Science Programs in Virginia
Program Landscape
Virginia offers 21 accredited associate's degree programs in computer science, providing an affordable entry point into the technology field. The top-ranked programs include Northern Virginia Communi..., Tidewater Community College, Brightpoint Community Col..., which combine rigorous technical curriculum with practical skills training.
Costs & Value
Community colleges in Virginia offer these two-year programs at an average cost of $5,529/yr, significantly less than four-year university tuition. Students completing associate's degrees can pursue entry-level technical positions and transfer opportunities, with entry-level salaries averaging $69,355 in Virginia.
Career Pathways
Many programs feature guaranteed transfer agreements with Virginia's public universities, allowing students to complete their first two years at reduced cost before transferring to complete a bachelor's degree. The Arlington, Reston, Richmond areas offer particularly strong job markets for associate's degree holders, with employers like Amazon AWS, Microsoft, Booz Allen hiring for technical support, junior development, and IT specialist positions.
Curriculum & Specializations
Programs typically include coursework in programming fundamentals, database management, networking basics, and software development. Among computer science schools in Virginia, these associate's programs offer the best value for students beginning their computer science degrees in Virginia.
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Show all 6 ranked programs
| Rank | School | Location | Type | Tuition | Grad Rate | Hakia Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 | University of Management and Technology | Arlington, VA | Private for-profit | $9,360 | 33% | 63.2 |
Best Bachelor's Computer Science Programs in Virginia
Program Landscape
Virginia ranks among the nation's top destinations for computer science education, with 33 accredited bachelor's degree programs across 15 public and 17 private institutions. The highest-ranked programs are Virginia Polytechnic Inst..., U of Virginia, George Mason, recognized for academic excellence, research opportunities, and strong industry connections.
Career Outcomes
Graduates from Virginia computer science programs earn a median salary of $107,185, 9% above the national average. The state's robust technology sector, anchored by the Arlington, Reston, Richmond metropolitan areas, provides abundant internship and employment opportunities with companies including Amazon AWS, Microsoft, Booz Allen.
Costs & Value
Tuition ranges from $5,540 to $63,315 annually, with an average of $22,735/yr. Top programs maintain graduation rates above 88%, with the highest reaching 99%. Many programs hold ABET accreditation, the gold standard for computing education, ensuring curriculum meets rigorous industry standards.
Curriculum & Specializations
Students can choose from specializations including software engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data science, and systems architecture. Strong industry partnerships provide access to co-op programs, capstone projects with real companies, and direct recruiting pipelines to Virginia's leading technology employers. For students seeking computer science degrees in Virginia, these top-ranked computer science schools offer the strongest combination of academic rigor and career preparation.
Washington and Lee University
Show all 19 ranked programs
| Rank | School | Location | Type | Tuition | Grad Rate | Hakia Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 | Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA | Public | $10,288 | 72% | 76.6 |
| #7 | Hampden-Sydney College | Hampden-Sydney, VA | Private nonprofit | $51,808 | 62% | 75.0 |
| #8 | Shenandoah University | Winchester, VA | Private nonprofit | $35,460 | 67% | 74.1 |
| #9 | University of Virginia's College at Wise | Wise, VA | Public | $6,160 | 47% | 72.0 |
| #10 | Roanoke College | Salem, VA | Private nonprofit | $36,040 | 67% | 71.6 |
| #11 | Longwood University | Farmville, VA | Public | $8,840 | 61% | 69.6 |
| #12 | Averett University | Danville, VA | Private nonprofit | $38,400 | 48% | 67.9 |
| #13 | Bridgewater College | Bridgewater, VA | Private nonprofit | $15,000 | 53% | 65.0 |
| #14 | Radford University | Radford, VA | Public | $8,528 | 49% | 65.0 |
| #15 | Eastern Mennonite University | Harrisonburg, VA | Private nonprofit | $43,070 | 67% | 64.3 |
| #16 | Virginia State University | Petersburg, VA | Public | $5,701 | 39% | 62.8 |
| #17 | Marymount University | Arlington, VA | Private nonprofit | $39,270 | 54% | 62.4 |
| #18 | University of Management and Technology | Arlington, VA | Private for-profit | $9,360 | 33% | 56.7 |
| #19 | Virginia Union University | Richmond, VA | Private nonprofit | $12,630 | 34% | 54.6 |
Best Master's Computer Science Programs in Virginia
Program Landscape
Virginia offers 12 master's degree programs in computer science, designed for professionals seeking to advance into senior engineering, technical leadership, and specialized roles. The top programs, Virginia Polytechnic Inst..., U of Virginia, George Mason, combine advanced technical training with research opportunities and leadership development.
Career Outcomes
Master's graduates in Virginia earn a median salary of $126,100, approximately 20-30% higher than bachelor's degree holders. The concentration of technology companies in Arlington, Reston, Richmond creates strong demand for graduate-level talent, with Amazon AWS, Microsoft, Booz Allen actively recruiting from these programs.
Costs & Value
Program formats include traditional full-time study (typically 2 years), part-time options for working professionals (2-3 years), and accelerated tracks. Tuition averages $12,229/yr, with many employers offering tuition reimbursement for graduate education. Some programs offer thesis and non-thesis tracks, allowing students to focus on research or professional development based on their career goals.
Curriculum & Specializations
Curriculum covers advanced topics including machine learning, distributed systems, software architecture, and technical management. Many programs include practicum experiences, industry capstone projects, or consulting engagements that provide real-world application of advanced concepts. Among Virginia's computer science schools at the graduate level, these programs stand out for both academic quality and career outcomes.
University of Management and Technology
Computer Science Degree Costs & Tuition in Virginia
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average in-state tuition | $15,976/year |
| Average out-of-state tuition | $39,940/year |
| Community college tuition | $3,994/year |
| 4-year savings for residents | $95,856 |
| 2+2 transfer pathway savings | $23,964 |
Source: IPEDS 2024
Financial Aid for Virginia CS Students
Verdict: Virginia's financial aid landscape is distinctive for the workforce-oriented G3 Tuition Assistance program, low-to-middle-income Virginia residents enrolling in qualifying high-demand programs (IT, cybersecurity, healthcare) at Virginia community colleges receive tuition + books + fees coverage. For CS-track community-college students, G3 dramatically reduces the financial barrier to entering the field. Combined with the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) for private institutions and the Commonwealth Award for public universities, Virginia's state aid is genuinely competitive, particularly aligned to STEM workforce demand.
G3 (Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back) Tuition Assistance is the program with the most leverage for CS/IT students: low-to-middle-income Virginia residents enrolling in qualifying high-demand VA community college programs (IT, cybersecurity, healthcare, public safety) receive full tuition coverage plus books and fees. This is one of the strongest US state community-college workforce-development programs and specifically targets the cybersecurity-engineering shortage in Northern Virginia.
Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP) provides aid for VA residents from low-income households attending Virginia public 4-year universities with academic merit, tuition, fees, and book allowance. The Commonwealth Award is the broader state need-based grant for VA residents at public Virginia institutions, awarded through individual institutions from state allocation.
Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program (VTAG / TAG) extends state aid to private VA institutions, up to $5,000/year (undergraduate) for VA residents at eligible private Virginia colleges/universities (William & Mary, University of Richmond, Washington & Lee, Hampden-Sydney, etc.). Federal Pell stacks on top. For NoVA-area students with G3 eligibility starting at NOVA Community College and transferring to George Mason or Virginia Tech, total state-and-federal aid coverage can produce essentially-free CS bachelor's degrees aligned to Northern Virginia's federal-contractor employment market.
Computer Science Degree ROI Calculator, Virginia
Use our interactive ROI calculator to estimate your return on investment for a computer science degree in Virginia. Enter your expected tuition costs, financial aid, and career goals to see projected payback periods and lifetime earnings. The calculator uses current salary data from BLS and tuition data from IPEDS to provide accurate estimates.
Computer Science Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your return on investment for a computer science degree
Leave blank to use average cost for selected program type
+959%
Net gain divided by total investment. ROI above 200% is considered excellent for education investments.
$1,774,135
Your additional lifetime earnings with this degree vs. working without one, minus the total investment.
5 years
Years until your cumulative earnings exceed total investment. Shorter programs often break even faster due to lower opportunity cost.
$100,000
Your starting salary adjusted for local cost of living. This shows real purchasing power compared to a $100K national baseline.
Why does break-even change with program type? Your "total investment" includes both tuition AND opportunity cost (foregone earnings while in school). A 4-year full-time public university (in-state) means 4 years of not earning a salary ($140,000 in opportunity cost). Shorter full-time programs may have higher tuition but lower total investment because you return to the workforce sooner.
Detailed Breakdown
How we calculate your degree ROI using real salary data
Tuition plus opportunity cost (earnings you miss while in school)
Direct cost of the degree program
4 years × $35K/year foregone salary while studying full-time
Projected career earnings starting after graduation, with salary growth
What you'd earn working at $35K/year with 2% annual growth
Median salary for this role in your selected location (BLS 2024)
Your investment's compound annual growth rate (similar to stock market returns)
Data sources: BLS OEWS May 2024, IPEDS 2024. Calculations use median salaries, 3% discount rate, and assume salary growth declines from 6% to 2% over career. Individual results will vary. | Powered by Hakia.com
Computer Science Salaries by Metro Area
Median annual salary in Virginia metro areas
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Arlington | $139K |
| Reston | $132K |
| Richmond | $126K |
| Norfolk | $120K |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Hakia.com
Top Employers Hiring Computer Science Graduates in Virginia
Find computer science jobs in Virginia. These major employers across Virginia metro areas are actively hiring computer science degree holders. Click employer names to view current job openings.
Computer Science Jobs in Northern Virginia
VANorthern Virginia is home to Amazon HQ2, major data center infrastructure, and the largest concentration of defense contractors.
Nearby cities: Arlington, Tysons, Reston, Herndon, Ashburn, McLean
Computer Science Jobs in Richmond
VARichmond hosts Capital One's main campus and a growing fintech ecosystem.
Nearby cities: Glen Allen, Midlothian, Short Pump
Virginia Tech Industry & Infrastructure
Virginia's tech economy is uniquely defined by Northern Virginia — the highest concentration of federal cybersecurity, defense, and cloud-infrastructure employers in the country. Loudoun and Prince William counties host the world's largest cluster of data centers (carrying an estimated 70%+ of global internet traffic), Amazon's HQ2 is in Arlington, and the federal contracting market employs tens of thousands of cleared engineers.
Northern Virginia
Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William
Amazon HQ2 (Arlington), Capital One HQ (McLean), AOL/Yahoo legacy footprint, and the world's largest cluster of federal-contractor engineering employers — Booz Allen Hamilton, MITRE, Leidos, SAIC, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin's NoVA operations, CACI, ManTech. Loudoun County's data-center alley hosts AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle, and dozens of colocation providers.
Richmond
Richmond metro
State government IT, CarMax HQ, Markel Insurance, Genworth, Altria. Smaller but stable enterprise-tech market; lower cost of living than NoVA.
Hampton Roads / Norfolk
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News
Navy and military-adjacent tech employment (Naval Information Warfare Center, Joint Forces Staff College), Newport News Shipbuilding tech, and a growing regional cybersecurity cluster.
Virginia has a graduated state income tax (top rate 5.75%). The Virginia Investment Performance Grant and Virginia Talent Accelerator Program are the principal tech-employer incentives — both used in attracting Amazon HQ2.
Virginia Regulation Affecting Computer Science Graduates
Virginia was the second US state (after California) to pass a comprehensive consumer privacy law. The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) is now one of the foundational state privacy frameworks copied by other states. For NoVA's massive federal-contractor base, however, the more daily-relevant compliance regime is FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST 800-171, and CMMC — federal cybersecurity standards that shape engineering practice across the contractor ecosystem.
Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA)
Effective January 2023. Grants VA residents rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of sale of personal data. Applies to businesses processing data of 100,000+ VA consumers, or 25,000+ deriving 50%+ revenue from data sales.
Engineers building consumer-facing products for VA users must implement VCDPA-compliant data flows. The law's thresholds make it less broadly applicable than CCPA, but the model has influenced subsequent state laws.
Read moreFederal cybersecurity frameworks (FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST 800-171, CMMC)
Not Virginia laws, but the practical compliance regime for the NoVA federal-contractor base. Engineers at Booz Allen, MITRE, SAIC, and similar employers operate under these standards daily.
For most cybersecurity, cloud, and defense-tech roles in Northern Virginia, federal cybersecurity framework knowledge is more valuable than state privacy law expertise. CISSP, CCSP, and clearance-eligible profiles dominate hiring requirements.
Read moreVirginia Identity Theft Passport Program
State program providing identity-theft victims with a verification document; backed by data-handling rules for credit-reporting and consumer-data businesses.
Standard compliance for consumer-data businesses operating in Virginia.
Read moreProfessional Engineer Licensure in Virginia
Virginia does not administer a separate Software Engineering PE license. ABET-EAC accreditation supports traditional engineering PE tracks. For the NoVA market, federal security clearances (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI with poly) are dramatically more relevant than PE licensure — most tech roles at major federal contractors require clearance-eligibility at minimum.
Virginia licensing boardVirginia Financial Aid Programs
Up to $5,000/yr (undergraduate)
VA residents attending eligible private nonprofit VA colleges/universities
Commonwealth Award
State grantVaries by institution; awarded by individual schools from state allocation
VA residents with financial need at public VA colleges/universities
Tuition, fees, and book allowance
VA residents from low-income households attending VA public 4-year institutions with academic merit
G3 (Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back) Tuition Assistance
Workforce grant (community college)Covers tuition, books, and fees
Low- to middle-income VA residents enrolling in qualifying high-demand VA community college programs (incl. IT, cybersecurity, healthcare)
Transfer Pathways for Virginia CS Students
Verdict: Virginia's Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has formal guaranteed transfer agreements with all Virginia public 4-year institutions for students completing an Associate of Science (AS) degree with appropriate grades. The 23-campus VCCS is one of the larger US state community college systems and has well-established CS prerequisite sequences. The combination of G3 tuition coverage at the community college plus guaranteed transfer admission to Virginia Tech, George Mason, UVA, or Virginia Commonwealth creates one of the strongest cost-to-quality CS bachelor's pathways in the country.
Virginia's guaranteed transfer agreements cover all 23 VCCS schools to all 15 Virginia public 4-year universities. Students completing an AS in Engineering (the CS-aligned pathway) with the appropriate GPA threshold are guaranteed admission to a participating Virginia public 4-year, though not necessarily Virginia Tech or UVA as first choice. The articulation is genuine; CS prerequisites complete at the community college transfer cleanly to upper-division Virginia public universities.
Best Virginia community college CS-feeder schools: Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA, by far the largest VCCS school, dominant NoVA feeder), Tidewater Community College (Norfolk/Virginia Beach area), J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Richmond), Piedmont Virginia Community College (Charlottesville), Germanna Community College (Fredericksburg area), and Lord Fairfax Community College (Shenandoah Valley). NOVA specifically has the strongest CS prerequisite sequences and most refined George Mason / Virginia Tech transfer counseling, and the largest absolute CS-track enrollment.
Virginia Tech CS transfer admission is competitive but accessible, VT's CS program runs roughly 25-40% transfer admit rate depending on year. UVA CS transfer is more competitive (10-20% admit rate). George Mason University CS is meaningfully more open and has expanded substantially as Northern Virginia's tech workforce demand grew (Mason's Fairfax campus is roughly 30 minutes from Amazon HQ2). Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) CS and Old Dominion University CS are also strong programs with open transfer admission. For most NoVA-area CS-track students, the NOVA → George Mason pathway is the realistic optimization, total cost under $30,000 for a 4-year CS degree well-positioned for NoVA federal-contractor employment.
Computer Science Job Growth in Virginia
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook
Virginia CS Job Market & Salary
Verdict: Northern Virginia is the highest concentration of federal cybersecurity, defense, and cloud-infrastructure engineering employers in the United States, and one of the most distinctive US tech labor markets. NoVA's combination of Amazon HQ2 (Arlington), Capital One HQ (McLean), the federal contractor base (Booz Allen, MITRE, Leidos, SAIC, Northrop Grumman, CACI, ManTech), and Loudoun County's data center alley (carrying an estimated 70%+ of global internet traffic) makes Virginia CS graduates unusually well-positioned for clearance-eligible careers, defense-tech, and cloud-infrastructure roles. Nominal salaries are strong; clearance-eligible roles command meaningful premiums.
By metro: Northern Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William) averages ~$130,000-$165,000 for software engineer roles per Levels.fyi and BLS, with cleared federal-contractor roles routinely paying $150,000-$220,000 for new graduates with appropriate clearance and technical skills. Major NoVA employers: Amazon HQ2 (Arlington), Capital One HQ (McLean), AOL/Yahoo legacy operations, plus the largest US concentration of federal-contractor engineering employers, Booz Allen Hamilton, MITRE, Leidos, SAIC, Northrop Grumman's NoVA operations, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems, CACI, ManTech. Loudoun County's data center cluster hosts AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and dozens of colocation providers.
Richmond averages ~$95,000-$115,000 with state government IT, CarMax HQ, Markel Insurance, Altria, Genworth, and Dominion Energy IT. Smaller market with lower compensation but materially lower cost of living than NoVA. Hampton Roads / Norfolk averages ~$90,000-$110,000 with Navy and military-adjacent tech employment (Naval Information Warfare Center, Joint Forces Staff College), Newport News Shipbuilding tech, and a growing regional cybersecurity cluster.
The NoVA federal-contractor career path is distinctive.
Beyond standard CS skills, federal security clearance eligibility is the dominant secondary hiring criterion, Secret (faster, less restrictive), Top Secret, and TS/SCI with polygraph (significant compensation premiums but extended investigation timelines). For CS graduates targeting NoVA, US citizenship + clean background + clearance-eligibility positioning during college can dramatically affect employment trajectory. The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), the 2nd US state comprehensive privacy law, creates ongoing privacy-engineering demand in addition to federal cybersecurity work. See Software Engineer Career Guide, Cybersecurity Career Guide, and our Cybersecurity Certifications Guide for credential context.
Entry-Level (0-2 yrs)
New graduates and career changers
Senior (8+ yrs)
Technical leads and architects
Online vs On-Campus Computer Science Programs in Virginia
Online Programs
23 available in Virginia
On-Campus Programs
Traditional classroom experience
Compare Computer Science Programs in Other States
- Total Programs
- 51
- Median Tuition
- $8,100
- Total Programs
- 17
- Median Tuition
- $9,200
- Total Programs
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- Median Tuition
- $9,700
- Total Programs
- 45
- Median Tuition
- $16,500
- Total Programs
- 50
- Median Tuition
- $6,800
- Total Programs
- 193
- Median Tuition
- $5,700
- Total Programs
- 45
- Median Tuition
- $11,000
- Total Programs
- 141
- Median Tuition
- $7,000
Computer Science Degree Programs in Virginia: FAQ
What are the best computer science degree programs in Virginia?
How much do computer science degree programs cost in Virginia?
What salary can computer science degree graduates earn in Virginia?
Are there online computer science degree programs in Virginia?
What companies hire computer science degree graduates in Virginia?
Is a computer science degree program worth it in Virginia?
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What financial aid is available for computer science degree students in Virginia?
Data Sources
Institutional characteristics, completions, graduation rates
Virginia salary and employment data
Program details and admissions information
Last Updated: June 26, 2026. Rankings based on IPEDS 2024 data. Salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
Taylor Rupe
Co-founder & Editor (B.S. Computer Science, Oregon State • B.A. Psychology, University of Washington)
Taylor combines technical expertise in computer science with a deep understanding of human behavior and learning. His dual background drives Hakia's mission: leveraging technology to build authoritative educational resources that help people make better decisions about their academic and career paths.