Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Ashland

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Ashland1Photo: Urbancam · Public domain
Colleges in and near Ashland

Ashland is a college town: 23 of every 100 residents are students

Randolph-Macon College (1,523 students on campus) is inside the town. Across Virginia, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town23% of residents are studentsRandolph-Macon College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Ashland. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
10
38,907 students on campus
Nearest college
0.3 mi
Randolph-Macon College
Residents in college
23%
Above VA (7%)
Nearest community college
8.5 mi
J Sargeant Reynolds · $5,280 tuition
Nearest public university
14.6 mi
Virginia Commonwealth University · $16,945 in-state
Students on campus in Ashland
1,523
next to 7,982 residents

What stands out about college in Ashland

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town23 of every 100 Ashland residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.A college in AshlandRandolph-Macon College has 1,523 students on campus in Ashland, 70% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 8.5 miles awayJ Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond: tuition and fees $5,280 a year for Virginia residents.In-state price at Virginia Commonwealth UniversityLiving in Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University charges $16,945 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $40,109. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Ashland

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

23 of every 100 Ashland residents are in college (VA: 7).

1,523students on campus at Randolph-Macon College, next to 7,982 residents (dorm students count as residents)
509college students live in Ashland households rather than dorms
30.6median age · VA 39.0
56%of residents are women · VA 51% (±3.4 points)
44%of homes rented · VA 33%
$1,229median rent · 22% below the state
AshlandAshland, VA
Cost of living$1,229/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIC−HealthCDC estimatesBJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundCHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Ashland’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 23.6% of Ashland residents are below the poverty line, 22.5% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 7 points either way). 36% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 23%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Ashland’s median age is 30.6 (Virginia 39.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Ashland

Eight private colleges within 13.7 miles, one public college within 14.6 miles, and J Sargeant Reynolds Community College 8.5 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miVirginia Commonwealth UniversityJ Sargeant ReynoldsUniversity of RichmondAshland
University or collegeCommunity college
Randolph-Macon CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,523 on campus · In Ashland87%admitted$28knet price70%graduate$58kearningsBon Secours Memorial College of NursingUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 477 on campus · 8.1 mi · Richmond$77kearningsJ Sargeant Reynolds Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 5,512 on campus · 8.5 mi · Richmond$5knet price32%graduate$40kearningsTuition and fees: $5,280 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.South University-RichmondUniversity or college · For-profit · 286 on campus · 10.5 mi · Glen Allen$30knet price42%graduate$34kearningsEarnings are reported for all 10 campuses that file with it.Fortis College-RichmondUniversity or college · For-profit · 399 on campus · 12.4 mi · Richmond$25knet price50%graduate$33kearningsEarnings are reported for all 3 campuses that file with it.Union Presbyterian SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 163 on campus · 12.6 mi · RichmondGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Lotus Professional CollegeUniversity or college · For-profit · 161 on campus · 12.8 mi · RichmondUniversity of RichmondUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,630 on campus · 13.2 mi · University of Richmond22%admitted$31knet price85%graduate$76kearningsVirginia Union UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,153 on campus · 13.7 mi · Richmond98%admitted$13knet price34%graduate$38kearningsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 25,603 on campus · 14.6 mi · Richmond93%admitted$23knet price63%graduate$58kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Ashland’s median household income ($61,164) falls.

J Sargeant Reynolds Community College8.5 mi · Richmond · sticker $12,428 · tuition $5,280$5,377a year
Virginia Union University13.7 mi · Richmond · sticker $29,075$14,420a year
University of Richmond13.2 mi · University of Richmond · sticker $80,961$15,553a year
Virginia Commonwealth University14.6 mi · Richmond · sticker $38,954$20,925a year
Randolph-Macon CollegeIn Ashland · sticker $63,985$23,357a year
Fortis College-Richmond12.4 mi · Richmond · sticker $31,646$23,718a year
South University-Richmond10.5 mi · Glen Allen · sticker $36,577—a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Ashland: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Randolph-Macon CollegeJ Sargeant ReynoldsFortis College-RichmondUniversity of RichmondVirginia Union UniversityVirginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University63% graduate$58k earnings$22k typical debt
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College32% graduate$40k earnings$10k typical debt
University of Richmond85% graduate$76k earnings$21k typical debt
Randolph-Macon College70% graduate$58k earnings$27k typical debt
Virginia Union University34% graduate$38k earnings$29k typical debt
Fortis College-Richmond50% graduate$33k earnings*$10k typical debt
South University-Richmond42% graduate$34k earnings*$26k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: South University-Richmond (10); Fortis College-Richmond (3).

Majors

What students study in Ashland

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Randolph-Macon College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 23%Biology 13%Social sciences 9%Psychology 9%Health professions 9%Computer science 8%Everything else 29%

Biggest programs

Business/Commerce, General65 graduates a year
$72k4 yrs out
Biology, General46 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out
Psychology, General24 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government22 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out
Sociology16 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies13 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research10 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Ashland

Is Ashland a college town?

Yes. 23 of every 100 Ashland residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across Virginia. Randolph-Macon College has 1,523 students on campus, next to 7,982 residents.

What colleges are in Ashland?

Randolph-Macon College is inside the town. J Sargeant Reynolds Community College is 8.5 miles away in Richmond.

Why is Ashland’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 23.6% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 22.5% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 7 points).

What is the closest community college to Ashland, and what does it cost?

J Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, 8.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,280 a year for Virginia residents; the federal net price, $5,168, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Randolph-Macon College?

Randolph-Macon College admitted 87% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 980–1,220 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Ashland. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →