Virginia Community Colleges
Computer Science Programs
Computer science and IT pathways at community colleges in this state. Programming, networking, cybersecurity, and transfer-track CS courses.
23 colleges · 1408 sections · 100 unique courses · Fall 2026 · Updated today
Virginia community colleges offer two distinct CS pathways: an associate of applied science (AAS) for students aiming directly at help-desk, network admin, or junior developer roles, and a transfer-track AS that articulates to a bachelor's in computer science at a four-year school. The 1408 sections this term across 23 VCCS institutions cover programming (Python, Java, JavaScript), data structures, networking, cybersecurity, and intro computer science theory.
Two-year CC programs aren't a shortcut to a software engineering career — most SWE roles still require a bachelor's — but the IT-support, sysadmin, and cybersecurity-tech career paths absolutely start here. For students who want to be a software developer, the transfer-track AS lets you complete two years at community-college tuition before continuing to a CS bachelor's, with credit articulation in place at most Virginia four-year programs.
Earnings & outcomes for Computer Science graduates
Federal College Scorecard data on what graduates of this program actually earn after completion. Where a school’s cohort is too small to publish, we show the national benchmark for the same field of study.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, per-program (4-digit CIP) data. CIP 1101 — Computer and Information Sciences, General. School cohorts are suppressed by the federal source when fewer than ~30 completers in the reporting cohort.
Colleges offering Computer Science
| College | Sections | Courses | Online | Awards/yr | 5-yr earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Virginia Community College | 563 | 44 | 258 | 1088 | $73,013 |
| Tidewater Community College | 114 | 37 | 74 | 110 | — |
| Germanna Community College | 91 | 28 | 64 | 50 | $58,941 |
| Virginia Peninsula Community College | 72 | 26 | 46 | 113 | $70,215 |
| Brightpoint Community College | 68 | 27 | 53 | 81 | — |
| Reynolds Community College | 64 | 20 | 40 | 69 | $68,850 |
| Virginia Western Community College | 60 | 20 | 44 | 51 | — |
| New River Community College | 45 | 20 | 22 | 33 | — |
| Laurel Ridge Community College | 43 | 18 | 24 | 23 | — |
| Southside Virginia Community College | 29 | 10 | 10 | 21 | $37,115 |
| Central Virginia Community College | 28 | 9 | 13 | 14 | — |
| Blue Ridge Community College | 27 | 16 | 18 | 29 | — |
| Danville Community College | 25 | 20 | 17 | 44 | $44,873 |
| Piedmont Virginia Community College | 25 | 20 | 13 | 29 | — |
| Mountain Empire Community College | 23 | 15 | 17 | 39 | — |
| Southwest Virginia Community College | 23 | 17 | 17 | 9 | — |
| Camp Community College | 21 | 11 | 14 | 1 | — |
| Patrick & Henry Community College | 17 | 9 | 7 | 16 | — |
| Rappahannock Community College | 17 | 12 | 15 | 35 | — |
| Virginia Highlands Community College | 16 | 13 | 9 | 9 | — |
| Mountain Gateway Community College | 13 | 8 | 10 | 8 | — |
| Eastern Shore Community College | 12 | 9 | 9 | 6 | — |
| Wytheville Community College | 12 | 7 | 10 | 19 | — |
Computer Science Availability Snapshot
How computer science sections are being offered across 23 colleges in Virginia this term (1408 sections total).
Delivery format
- online740 (53%)
- in person368 (26%)
- hybrid236 (17%)
- zoom64 (5%)
When sections meet
- Morning (before noon)303
- Afternoon (noon–5 PM)203
- Evening (5 PM and after)195
- Asynchronous / TBA707
Start dates
Sections begin on 24 distinct dates. 1385 late-start more than two weeks after the term's earliest start.
Degree requirements by college
Expand a college to see the courses required for graduation. Data sourced from each college's official catalog.
Blue Ridge Community College1 program
Recommended Course Sequence
62 credits- CSC 221Introduction to Problem Solving and Programming(3 cr)2 sections
- ENG 111College Composition I(3 cr)52 sections
- MTH 263Calculus I(4 cr)7 sections
- CSC 222Object-Oriented Programming(4 cr)1 section
- ENG 112College Composition II(3 cr)12 sections
- MTH 264Calculus II(0 cr)3 sections
- MTH 245Statistics I(0 cr)6 sections
- CSC 205Computer Organization(0 cr)not offered
- CSC 215Computer Systems(0 cr)1 section
- MTH 265Calculus III(0 cr)1 section
- CSC 223Data Structures and Analysis of Algorithms(4 cr)not offered
- MTH 288Discrete Mathematics(3 cr)not offered
Source: College catalog
Brightpoint Community College3 programs
Camp Community College3 programs
Central Virginia Community College1 program
Powered by Modern Campus Catalog™.
Fall Semester- Year 1
Spring Semester- Year 1
Fall Semester- Year 2
Spring Semester - Year 2
Source: College catalog
Danville Community College2 programs
Eastern Shore Community College2 programs
Germanna Community College4 programs
Laurel Ridge Community College5 programs
Mountain Empire Community College2 programs
Mountain Gateway Community College2 programs
New River Community College8 programs
Northern Virginia Community College4 programs
Patrick & Henry Community College2 programs
Piedmont Virginia Community College2 programs
Rappahannock Community College2 programs
Reynolds Community College1 program
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Detailed course requirements are not yet available for this program. View in college catalog
Source: College catalog
Southside Virginia Community College3 programs
Southwest Virginia Community College4 programs
Tidewater Community College2 programs
Virginia Highlands Community College1 program
Recommended Course Sequence
63 credits- SDV 101Orientation to College Success(1 cr)13 sections
- ENG 111College Composition I(3 cr)15 sections
- HIS 121or HIS 122 United States History to 1877 or United States History Since 1865(3 cr)5 sections
- MTH 161or MTH 263 Precalculus I or Calculus I(4 cr)6 sections
- CSC 221Introduction to Problem Solving and Programming(3 cr)2 sections
- ENG 112College Composition II(3 cr)5 sections
- MTH 162or MTH 264 Precalculus II or Calculus II(4 cr)not offered
- CST 100Principles of Public Speaking(3 cr)5 sections
- CSC 222Object-oriented Programming(4 cr)2 sections
- MTH 263or MTH 265 Calculus I or Calculus III(4 cr)1 section
- ENG 245or ENG 246 British Literature or American Literature(3 cr)2 sections
- CSC 205Computer Organization(3 cr)not offered
- MTH 264or MTH 266 Calculus II or Linear Algebra(4 cr)not offered
- CSC 223Data Structures and Analysis of Algorithms(4 cr)not offered
Source: College catalog
Virginia Peninsula Community College4 programs
Virginia Western Community College4 programs
Wytheville Community College2 programs
Common Computer Science courses
- ITE 152Introduction to Digital and Information Literacy and Computer Applications(310 sections)
- CSC 221Introduction to Problem Solving and Programming(92 sections)
- ITE 140Spreadsheeting for Business(72 sections)
- ITN 101Introduction to Network Concepts(67 sections)
- ITN 260Network Security Basics(52 sections)
- ITN 106Microcomputer Operating Systems(51 sections)
- ITP 100Software Design(51 sections)
- CSC 222Object-Oriented Programming(49 sections)
- ITN 107Personal Computer Hardware and Troubleshooting(43 sections)
- ITP 150Python Programming(43 sections)
- CSC 223Data Structures and Analysis of Algorithms(34 sections)
- ITN 170Linux System Administration(34 sections)
Career outlook for Computer Science graduates
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for the primary career outcome of this program (2024 OEWS release). Compare Virginia’s typical pay to the national picture before choosing where to study.
Virginia's typical pay is about 9% above the typical state — a strong sign of healthy local demand.
Wage data reflects all workers in the occupation, not just recent CC graduates — entry-level pay is typically lower. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I become a software engineer with an associate degree?
- Possible but uncommon. Most software engineering roles require a bachelor's in computer science or equivalent experience. The realistic CC-grad direct path is IT support / help desk → junior systems administrator → systems engineer, often with industry certifications (CompTIA Network+, Security+, AWS) earned alongside the degree.
- Does community college CS credit transfer to a CS bachelor's?
- Yes, if you pick the transfer-track AS rather than the career-track AAS. The two tracks share courses but have different math sequences — transfer-track requires Calculus I and II; AAS often uses applied math or business math. Confirm with your target four-year school's transfer office before enrolling.
- What programming languages do Virginia community colleges teach?
- Python is dominant for intro courses and data-science tracks. Java is common in transfer-track CS sequences (mirroring what most four-year schools teach in their first two years). JavaScript appears in web-development AAS programs. C++ shows up in some game-dev and embedded-systems tracks. Check each college's catalog below for specifics.
- Is cybersecurity a good track at Virginia CCs?
- Yes — it's one of the highest-employment direct-career paths from a CC. Most Virginia community college cybersecurity programs are aligned with the NSA / DHS Center of Academic Excellence framework and prepare students for industry certifications like Security+ and CySA+. Graduates step into SOC analyst, junior pen-test, or IT-security-admin roles.
Compare Computer Science programs in other states
Same comparison view, different state systems. Useful if you’re considering an out-of-state community college or just want to see how Virginia’s computer science programs stack up.
Other programs in Virginia
Some programs may not be offered at every college — pages render only when the program meets a coverage threshold for the state.