Southside Virginia Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Southside Virginia Community College charges a net price of $5,338/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $21,352. Median earnings ten years after entry are $32,371, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Southside Virginia Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #71 of 81 Virginia colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $5,338/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $21,352 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $32,371 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$15,989/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$341,132 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Southside Virginia Community College's own numbers. Net price $5,338 × 4 years = $21,352 total. Median earnings $32,371 fall $15,989 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $21,352 bill in about 2.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Southside Virginia Community College students graduate?
42% finish their degree — 58% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $21,352 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $50,838 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Southside Virginia Community College expensive compared with other Virginia colleges?
Its $5,338 net price runs $13,728 below the $19,066 median across the 81 Virginia colleges we profile, and $54,912 less across the full degree.