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Ferrum St. James Methodist ChurchPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
Colleges in and near Ferrum

Ferrum is a college town: 46 of every 100 residents are students

Ferrum College (741 students on campus) is inside the town. Across Virginia, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town46% of residents are students

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 Ferrum. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
741 students on campus
Nearest college
1.6 mi
Ferrum College
Residents in college
46%
Above VA (7%)
Nearest community college
15.5 mi
Patrick & Henry · $5,002 tuition
Nearest public university
31 mi
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State · $15,948 in-state
Students on campus in Ferrum
741
next to 1,774 residents

What stands out about college in Ferrum

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

A college town46 of every 100 Ferrum residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.A college in FerrumFerrum College has 741 students on campus in Ferrum, 32% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 15.5 miles awayPatrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville: tuition and fees $5,002 a year for Virginia residents.In-state price at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateLiving in Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University charges $15,948 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $37,764. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Ferrum

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

46 of every 100 Ferrum residents are in college (VA: 7).

741students on campus at Ferrum College, next to 1,774 residents (dorm students count as residents)
21college students live in Ferrum households rather than dorms
21.8median age · VA 39.0
30%of homes rented · VA 33%
$638median rent · 60% below the state
FerrumFerrum, VA
Cost of living$638/mo median rentA+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundD−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Ferrum’s other numbers

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

Jobs & income D−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 37.7% of Ferrum residents are below the poverty line, 36.3% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 31 points either way). 100% 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 A+

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (46% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Ferrum’s median age is 21.8 (Virginia 39.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

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 Ferrum

One private college within 1.6 miles. The nearest public four-year college, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, is 31 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miFerrum CollegeFerrum
University or collegeCommunity college
Ferrum CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 741 on campus · In Ferrum89%admitted$20knet price32%graduate$44kearnings

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 and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Ferrum’s median household income ($40,435) falls.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University31 mi · Blacksburg · sticker $36,951$11,670a year
Ferrum CollegeIn Ferrum · sticker $54,526$16,493a 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: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Ferrum CollegeVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University86% graduate$82k earnings$22k typical debt
Ferrum College32% graduate$44k earnings$27k 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.

Majors

What students study in Ferrum

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

Education 17%Health professions 16%Business 16%Public safety 8%Parks & recreation 7%Natural resources 6%Everything else 30%

Biggest programs

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas25 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research11 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections8 graduates a year
$60k4 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 Ferrum

Is Ferrum a college town?

Yes. 46 of every 100 Ferrum residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across Virginia. Ferrum College has 741 students on campus, next to 1,774 residents.

What colleges are in Ferrum?

Ferrum College is inside the town. Patrick & Henry Community College is 15.5 miles away in Martinsville.

Why is Ferrum’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 37.7% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 36.3% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 31 points).

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

Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville, 15.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,002 a year for Virginia residents; the federal net price, $4,102, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Ferrum College?

Ferrum College admitted 89% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
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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 Ferrum. 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 →