BRCC vs. PVCC

Deciding between Blue Ridge Community College and Piedmont Virginia Community College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • BRCC Weyers Cave, VA
  • PVCC Charlottesville, VA
  • Setting
  • BRCC Distant Rural
  • PVCC Small Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • BRCC 3,790
  • PVCC 5,263
  • Type
  • BRCC Public 2 Year
  • PVCC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • BRCC
  • PVCC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • BRCC -
  • PVCC -
  • Status
  • BRCC Non-profit
  • PVCC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • BRCC
  • PVCC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • BRCC $5,646
  • PVCC $5,072
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • BRCC $12,084
  • PVCC $11,510
  • Room & Board
  • BRCC $9,366
  • PVCC $10,665
  • Average Net Price
  • BRCC $14,191
  • PVCC $6,710
  • Average Grant Aid
  • BRCC $6,552
  • PVCC $6,471
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • BRCC 64%
  • PVCC 64%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • BRCC -
  • PVCC -
  • Admitted
  • BRCC -
  • PVCC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • BRCC Open
  • PVCC Open
  • Enrolled
  • BRCC Open
  • PVCC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • BRCC
  • PVCC
  • Typical ACT score
  • BRCC
  • PVCC
  • Average High School GPA
  • BRCC -
  • PVCC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • BRCC -
  • PVCC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • BRCC Unavailable
  • PVCC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • BRCC
  • PVCC
  • ACT Range
  • BRCC
  • PVCC
  • SAT Range
  • BRCC
  • PVCC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • BRCC Open admission
  • PVCC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • BRCC
  • PVCC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • BRCC 21:1
  • PVCC 21:1
  • Popular Majors
  • BRCC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (54%)
    • Health Professions (15%)
    • Business (10%)
    • Transportation and Materials Moving (5%)
    • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • PVCC
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (35%)
    • Health Professions (22%)
    • Business (15%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
    • Education (4%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • BRCC -
  • PVCC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • BRCC $35,800
  • PVCC $33,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • BRCC 42%
  • PVCC 40%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • BRCC $8,500
  • PVCC $7,509
  • Median Loan Payment
  • BRCC $87
  • PVCC $77

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • BRCC 40%
  • PVCC 42%
  • % Women
  • BRCC 60%
  • PVCC 58%
  • Racial Diversity
  • BRCC Low
  • PVCC Medium
  • HBCU
  • BRCC No
  • PVCC No
  • % White
  • BRCC 78%
  • PVCC 68%
  • % Asian
  • BRCC 2%
  • PVCC 4%
  • % Black
  • BRCC 7%
  • PVCC 15%
  • % Hispanic
  • BRCC 9%
  • PVCC 7%
  • % Native American
  • BRCC 1%
  • PVCC 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • BRCC 0%
  • PVCC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • BRCC 3%
  • PVCC 4%
  • % International
  • BRCC 0%
  • PVCC 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • BRCC 1%
  • PVCC 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • BRCC 99%
  • PVCC 99%
  • % Out-of-State
  • BRCC 1%
  • PVCC 1%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • BRCC No
  • PVCC No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • BRCC No
  • PVCC No
  • Meal Plan
  • BRCC No
  • PVCC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • BRCC No
  • PVCC Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • BRCC No
  • PVCC No

Comparable Facts

Compare Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, VA with Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Piedmont Virginia Community College is larger than BRCC based on total student enrollment (5,263 students vs. 3,790 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Blue Ridge Community College is located in Weyers Cave, VA (Distant Rural setting); Piedmont Virginia Community College is in Charlottesville, VA (Small Suburban setting).
  • Blue Ridge Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Piedmont Virginia Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Blue Ridge Community College 21:1; Piedmont Virginia Community College 21:1.

BRCC vs. PVCC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BRCC or PVCC? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Piedmont Virginia Community College than BRCC ($6,710 vs. $14,191).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Blue Ridge Community College are 12.2% lower than at Piedmont Virginia Community College ($9,366 vs. $10,665).
  • Blue Ridge Community College is 11.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than PVCC (about $574 more per year; $5,646.00 vs. $5,072.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 5% higher at BRCC than at Piedmont Virginia Community College (about $574 more per year; $12,084.00 vs. $11,510.00).
  • The same share of students receive grant aid at Blue Ridge Community College as at Piedmont Virginia Community College (64% vs. 64%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Blue Ridge Community College students is 1.3% larger than aid received by Piedmont Virginia Community College students ($6,552 vs. $6,471).

BRCC vs. PVCC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BRCC or PVCC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between PVCC and BRCC.

  • Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: BRCC - Open admission; PVCC - Open admission.

BRCC vs. PVCC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for BRCC and PVCC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Graduates from Blue Ridge Community College earn a median of about $2,500 more per year than PVCC graduates about ten years after starting college ($35,800 vs. $33,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Piedmont Virginia Community College graduates have a $991 lower median loan debt than BRCC graduates ($7,509 vs. $8,500).
  • Among borrowers, PVCC graduates have an estimated $10 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than BRCC graduates ($77 vs. $87).
  • More BRCC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PVCC students, three years after graduation. (42% vs. 40%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.