Virginia Highlands Community College

Students at Virginia Highlands praise the nursing program, the Virginia Appalachian Tri-college Nursing Program (VATNP), as a demanding yet rewarding experience. The program is noted as one of the largest in Virginia with a strong reputation, providing students with thorough preparation and a pathway to continue their education online at King University for a Bachelor's degree.

Virginia Highlands Community College provides a welcoming and supportive academic environment with small class sizes that foster personal connections between professors and students. Faculty members are described as caring, helpful, and accessible, often going above and beyond to assist students in understanding material and succeeding.

The college offers a wide range of flexible class formats including in-person and online courses, which help accommodate students with various schedules such as working adults or parents. Online classes are generally well-received, noted for their convenience and effective professor communication, although some students wish for more self-paced options.

Many students appreciate that Virginia Highlands Community College serves as a strong transition school, helping them complete general education and prerequisite courses at a lower cost before transferring to four-year institutions. Advisors and counselors are recognized for their assistance in smooth credit transfer and academic planning.

Virginia Highlands Community College has a diverse student body with a mix of economic, political, and ethnic backgrounds, contributing to a friendly and respectful campus culture. Despite being in a less diverse surrounding community, students report a welcoming atmosphere where different groups mesh well.

Though Virginia Highlands is a community college with limited campus life compared to four-year universities, it offers various student activities including Campus Days, intramural sports, and some clubs. However, as a non-residential school, students often describe the social scene as quieter and sometimes lacking in lively engagement.

Virginia Highlands has been a very welcoming space since I’ve started there. Between the faculty and students, I have been given support and many types of resources for both inside and outside of class hours.

I thought that Virginia Highlands has a great support staff. Anything you could ever need, they would help you with. Their tutoring program is really effective and helpful. VHCC is lacking campus-life. Sometimes it seems somewhat dead and not lively.

Virginia Highlands Community College offers a strong financial support system, including many scholarships that make earning an Associate's Degree affordable or even free for some students who contribute to the community. Students frequently mention the ease and helpfulness of the financial aid process, making it a great option for those concerned about cost.