Compare costs, program length, and outcomes at Virginia's highest-rated CNA schools — ranked and reviewed.
In as few as five weeks, a Virginian can complete a CNA program and sit for the state certification exam: a timeline that matches the urgency of healthcare employers facing severe staffing gaps. Yet the path isn’t one-size-fits-all: accelerated private courses cost more upfront, while community college programs spread over a semester often qualify for state tuition assistance.
Tuition ranges from fully covered through Virginia’s G3 initiative to around $3,500 for some private training. Programs vary from campus-based to hybrid formats that blend online theory with required clinical hours. The common thread is a stable career with a median annual wage of $36,820, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Virginia's community colleges deliver the strongest value for CNA training: affordable in-state tuition, flexible scheduling, and clear certification pathways. The 10 programs below stand out for their combination of FastForward or G3 support, clinical preparation, and regional access. We prioritized schools that give students more than one route to a CNA, whether a credit certificate, short workforce course, or hybrid format.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New River Community College | Dublin, VA | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | Rural Southwest Virginia residents wanting flexible paths | |
New River Community College pairs a credit Career Studies Certificate with a noncredit workforce option, so students can choose the route that matches their goals. Both pathways are approved by the Virginia Board of Nursing and feed directly into the NNAAP exam. The college reports median earnings around $40,025 for students one year after completion, with typical debt near $9,000. Campus-based training in Dublin includes practical labs and workforce coaching.
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| #2 | J Sargeant Reynolds Community College | Richmond, VA | ~$5,000/yr (est.) | Richmond-area students needing low-cost on-campus training | |
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond makes CNA training accessible through a campus-based Certified Nurse Aide program focused on long-term care and patient safety. The college emphasizes low-cost or free tuition for Virginia residents, often through its Community College Workforce Alliance partnership. Graduates report median earnings around $39,529 one year after finishing, with typical debt near $10,500. Screening requirements include a high school diploma or GED, background check, and TB test.
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| #3 | Rappahannock Community College | Glenns, VA | under $5,000/yr (est.) | Working adults wanting hybrid CNA plus medical assisting | |
Rappahannock Community College offers a 10-week Patient Care Technician hybrid that combines nurse aide and medical assisting skills, with online lectures plus in-person labs and clinicals. A GO Virginia grant can cover tuition, books, scrubs, and testing fees, making this one of the more fully funded short-term pathways in the state. The college reports median earnings around $36,121 for students one year after completion; typical debt data is not reported. Graduates can earn both the Certified Nurse Aide license and Certified Medical Assistant credential.
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| #4 | Southside Virginia Community College | Alberta, VA | $5,000 – $11,000/yr (est.) | ||
Southside Virginia Community College serves the Southside region with two distinct CNA paths: a 7-week workforce training at $3,396 and a dual-enrollment Career Studies Certificate for high school students. The workforce option is FastForward grant eligible and runs at multiple campus locations with evening and weekend classes. The college reports median earnings around $32,371 for graduates one year after finishing; typical debt data is not reported. Clinical rotations and classroom lab work are built into both paths.
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| #5 | Paul D Camp Community College | Franklin, VA | $5,000 – $11,000/yr (est.) | ||
Paul D Camp Community College offers a one-year Career Studies Certificate in Nurse Aide that prepares students for the NNAAP and Virginia Board of Nursing certification. The curriculum emphasizes scope of practice, HIPAA compliance, culturally sensitive care, and ethical legal concepts. The college reports median earnings around $36,031 one year after completion with typical debt near $6,880, a strong debt-to-earnings profile. It is campus-based in Franklin.
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| #6 | Patrick & Henry Community College | Martinsville, VA | $4,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville offers a campus-based Nurse Aide program with clinical experience in community healthcare agencies. It qualifies students for the Virginia State Board of Nursing Certification Test for Nurse Aides, and covers patient care across all ages with special needs emphasis. The college reports median earnings around $33,323 one year after completion; typical debt data is not reported.
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| #7 | Danville Community College | Danville, VA | $5,000 – $10,000/yr (est.) | ||
Danville Community College offers both a fast 5-week Certified Nurse Aide program and a more extended Nurse Aide Extended Care Career Studies Certificate. The 5-week option costs $3,495, runs daytime Monday through Thursday, includes CPR and First Aid, and many students pay nothing out of pocket through financial aid. The Extended Care path adds medication aide training and requires 16 credits, with G3 assistance available. The college reports median earnings around $31,664 one year after completion and typical debt near $9,000.
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| #8 | Virginia Highlands Community College | Abingdon, VA | $5,000/yr (est. net price) | ||
Virginia Highlands Community College offers an affordable 14-week Certified Nurse Aide program with evening classes and weekend clinical rotations, designed for working adults. The total tuition is $2,445, and the college notes many aid-eligible students pay nothing. A separate Career Studies Certificate option is G3 funding eligible. The college reports median earnings around $32,681 one year after completion; typical debt data is not reported.
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| #9 | Brightpoint Community College | Chester, VA | $5,000 – $12,000/yr (est.) | ||
Brightpoint Community College offers a Nurse Aide/Medication Aide Career Studies Certificate available in both campus and hybrid formats. The curriculum includes anatomy, physiology, disease prevention, safety and infection control, and medical documentation, with a supervised internship for field experience. G3 tuition assistance is available for qualifying students. The college reports median earnings around $41,223 one year after completion and typical debt near $9,500.
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| #10 | Laurel Ridge Community College | Middletown, VA | ~$6,000/yr (est.) | ||
Laurel Ridge Community College offers a Nurse Aide Program (NUR 27) at multiple campuses, plus a stackable Patient Care Technician/Nurse Aide option. The program is G3 scholarship eligible and can be completed in one year across two semesters, with credits that apply to the college's nursing program. The college reports median earnings around $41,000 one year after completion and typical debt near $9,750. Students can choose between Middletown, Fauquier, and Luray-Page County locations.
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A growing number of nursing education rankings promise the 'best' programs, yet few disclose how they arrive at their lists. At topnursing.org, we weigh affordability, student outcomes, and transparency to produce a ranking that reflects what matters most to future CNAs: a credential that pays off without leaving you in debt.
Our methodology evaluates each CNA program on four pillars. The first is net price: the average amount students pay after grants and scholarships, drawn from IPEDS institutional data. Because net price is a campus-wide average, it is not a personal quote, so your own aid package may differ. The second pillar is financial aid access, measured by the share of students receiving aid and the average award size. Together, these metrics surface programs that genuinely lower the cost barrier.
The third pillar is student success. We use the institution’s overall graduation rate from IPEDS, but we clearly separate that from any program-specific completion rate. A college may have a strong graduation rate across all students; a CNA program’s own completion numbers, where available, offer a more precise signal. We report program-level data when it exists, often from the College Scorecard, and note gaps openly.
Finally, we examine post-completion earnings. The College Scorecard provides program-level median earnings one year after graduation, allowing us to compare how graduates fare in the job market. Where data is missing, we say so rather than fill the gap with assumptions.
Readers often ask whether a high graduation rate or low net price applies to the entire school or to a single program. In every case, we label data points as either institution-wide or program-specific. When only college-level numbers are available, we state that plainly. Program-level earnings, when reported, come directly from the federal College Scorecard’s field-of-study data, which covers thousands of programs but not every CNA pathway. This honesty matters because a college’s overall success does not guarantee the same for its nursing assistant training.
We rely on two public datasets: the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS for institutional metrics and the College Scorecard for program-level outcomes. Many ranking sites keep their mash-up of data secret; we publish our Rankings Methodology on topnursing.org so you can judge our work. In a field where too many lists are simply pay-to-play or arbitrary, our commitment to open methods is a deliberate trust signal. We want you to choose a CNA program with facts, not marketing.
Virginia's G3 program can cover tuition and fees for eligible community college CNA students, making the classroom cost essentially free. Yet every student still faces several required out-of-pocket expenses. These extra costs typically add up to around $621.
CNA training doesn't have to drain your savings. In Virginia, several pathways can eliminate or significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs, from employer-paid apprenticeships to state-funded tuition assistance. Understanding the trade-offs, work commitments, program structure, and eligibility, will help you pick the route that fits your life and career goals.
Many healthcare employers in Virginia cover the full cost of CNA certification in exchange for a work commitment. Two well-documented programs are:
Larger hospital systems, like Sentara, Inova, and HCA Virginia, occasionally run similar sponsored training cohorts. Because openings are often filled quickly, visit their career websites regularly and search for “CNA trainee” or “nurse aide apprentice” positions.
Virginia’s G3 program (Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead) is a state-funded initiative that can cover tuition for eligible students in high-demand fields, including nurse aide training. Many community colleges across the Commonwealth offer CNA programs that qualify for G3 funding. If you are a Virginia resident and meet the income or program-of-study criteria, you could complete your CNA training at little to no cost, and without the multi-year work obligation often tied to employer-sponsored programs.
Check the Virginia Community College System website for a list of G3-eligible CNA programs near you. While you may still need to pay for uniforms, textbooks, or the certification exam out of pocket, the tuition assistance dramatically lowers the overall price tag.
If you’re not ready to commit to a single employer and don’t qualify for G3, look into workforce development funding. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) sometimes covers CNA program costs for unemployed or underemployed individuals. For example, Moon River Nursing Careers in Virginia accepts WIOA funding. Contact your local Virginia Career Works center to see if you’re eligible.
The American Red Cross discontinued its Nurse Assistant Training Program nationally on December 31, 2023, and no Virginia locations remain. Don’t rely on old search results, if you see a Red Cross CNA class listing, it is likely outdated.
Both employer-sponsored and publicly funded paths have real value. The table below can guide your decision:
Whichever path you choose, confirm the program’s accreditation with the Virginia Board of Nursing and ask about any hidden fees before you enroll.
Virginia requires all CNA candidates to complete in-person clinical hours, so fully online programs are not available. However, a handful of hybrid formats allow students to take theory coursework online, then attend clinicals at a healthcare facility. This blended approach offers flexibility but demands a commitment to on-site training.
Most aspiring CNAs complete training and earn certification within 4-8 weeks. The process involves a state-mandated 140-hour program, the NNAAP exam, and an application to the Virginia Board of Nursing. CNAs certified in other states can apply for reciprocity through an online endorsement process.
Virginia's CNA programs are spread across every region of the state, but some areas offer significantly more choices than others. The Southwest and Shenandoah Valley lead with six community college options, followed by five each in Hampton Roads/Tidewater and Central Virginia. Northern Virginia and the Richmond metro each have three programs, which may create more competition for seats in these higher-density markets.
| Region | School | City | Format | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Virginia | Germanna Community College | Locust Grove | campus | $5,541 |
| Northern Virginia | Northern Virginia Community College | Annandale | campus | $9,919 |
| Northern Virginia | Columbia College | Vienna | campus | $10,171 |
| Richmond Metro | J Sargeant Reynolds Community College | Richmond | campus | $5,168 |
| Richmond Metro | Brightpoint Community College | Chester | campus | $5,490 |
| Richmond Metro | Chester Career College | Chester | campus | $24,259 |
| Hampton Roads/Tidewater | Paul D Camp Community College | Franklin | campus | $4,126 |
| Hampton Roads/Tidewater | Rappahannock Community College | Glenns | campus | $4,343 |
| Hampton Roads/Tidewater | Virginia Peninsula Community College | Hampton | campus | $7,012 |
| Hampton Roads/Tidewater | Tidewater Community College | Norfolk | campus | $11,762 |
| Hampton Roads/Tidewater | Riverside College of Health Careers | Newport News | campus | $20,744 |
| Central Virginia | Patrick & Henry Community College | Martinsville | campus | $4,102 |
| Central Virginia | Southside Virginia Community College | Alberta | campus | $5,338 |
| Central Virginia | Danville Community College | Danville | campus | $6,669 |
| Central Virginia | Central Virginia Community College | Lynchburg | campus | $6,928 |
| Southwest/Shenandoah Valley | Mountain Gateway Community College | Clifton Forge | hybrid | $4,861 |
| Southwest/Shenandoah Valley | Virginia Western Community College | Roanoke | campus | $4,966 |
| Southwest/Shenandoah Valley | Virginia Highlands Community College | Abingdon | campus | $5,375 |
| Southwest/Shenandoah Valley | Laurel Ridge Community College | Middletown | campus | $6,013 |
| Southwest/Shenandoah Valley | New River Community College | Dublin | campus | $6,279 |
| Southwest/Shenandoah Valley | Mountain Empire Community College | Big Stone Gap | campus | $8,852 |
CNA programs in Virginia are among the shortest paths to a stable healthcare career, and the salary data shows why. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing assistants in Virginia earn a median annual wage of $36,820, with top earners making over $46,200. With most training programs in Virginia costing between $500 and $1,500, the return on investment can be realized within the first couple of months on the job.
| Location | 10th Percentile | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia (statewide) | $28,500 | N/A | $36,820 | N/A | $46,200 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $32,790 | N/A | $41,440 | N/A | $52,280 |
| Roanoke, VA | $28,930 | N/A | $35,320 | N/A | $44,820 |
Earning your CNA certification opens the door to a career with a clear upward path. Virginia's nursing workforce is structured as a ladder, and each step brings more responsibility, greater autonomy, and a significant pay increase. Whether you want to take the next step quickly or plan a long-range trajectory to become a registered nurse, the community college system in Virginia makes it practical to advance while you work.
Licensed Practical Nurse programs, including the best LPN programs Roanoke VA, typically take 12 months and are widely available at the same community colleges that offer CNA training. For example, Blue Ridge Community College runs a three-semester LPN track, while Reynolds Community College structures its program over three semesters as well. The salary difference is substantial, nationally, LPNs earn about 20 to 30 percent more than CNAs. Many LPN programs do not require CNA experience for admission, but the hands-on patient care skills you already have give you a strong foundation for coursework and clinicals.
For CNAs who become LPNs, the next move is an associate degree in nursing (ADN) to qualify for the NCLEX-RN. Virginia community colleges have built specialized LPN-to-RN bridge programs that shorten the path. Piedmont Virginia Community College and Blue Ridge Community College both offer LPN-to-RN bridge options. At Mountain Gateway Community College, prior learning credit, up to 12 credits, reduces the total required to just 67 credits. Brightpoint Community College delivers its bridge specialization in a hybrid format, letting you balance work and study. Typically, these bridge programs take one year beyond LPN coursework. Keep in mind that CNA experience alone does not directly reduce clinical hours in these programs, but some colleges do award credit for prior healthcare training or general education.
Once you hold an RN license, a BSN becomes a clear next step. The Virginia Community College System maintains RN-to-BSN transfer pathways with four-year universities, making it seamless to continue your education. Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing offers guaranteed admission for qualified community college graduates. A BSN not only increases earning potential, registered nurses with a bachelor's degree often earn 20 to 35 percent more than those with an associate degree, but also qualifies you for leadership, public health, and specialty roles.
Not every advancement requires another licensure exam. Virginia recognizes advanced CNA roles such as the medication aide. After additional training and state-approved testing, you can administer medications in long-term care settings. Geriatric aide certification provides another increment. These credentials raise your hourly wage modestly and can be earned while you decide on a larger career move.
Because so many Virginia community colleges offer the full continuum, Tidewater Community College, Danville Community College, and Wytheville Community College among them, you can often sequence certifications and degrees at a single institution. The salary and job outlook section of this article provides state-specific earning data at each nursing level, so you can see the concrete return on each educational investment.
Below are answers to common questions about becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant in Virginia, covering program length, costs, online options, requirements, pass rates, free training, and scheduling. Use these concise responses to guide your next steps.
The directory below covers additional Virginia CNA programs beyond the ranked list, grouped by region. Entries are not ranked; they are here to help you compare location, format, and approximate net price. Program costs and institutional net prices can change, so confirm details with each school before enrolling.
