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Bellevue Rural Historic District (Additional Documentation)Bellevue Rural Historic District (Additional Documentation) · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Colleges in and near Forest

Central Virginia Community College is 5.2 miles from Forest

No college sits inside Forest’s boundary, but Central Virginia Community College’s campus in Lynchburg, with 2,417 students on campus, is 5.2 miles from the center of town. About 10% of Forest’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia (7%).

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 Forest. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
6
21,326 students on campus
Nearest college
5.2 mi
Central Virginia
Residents in college
10%
About the same as VA (7%)
Nearest community college
5.2 mi
Central Virginia · $5,157 tuition
Nearest public university
30 mi
Virginia Military Institute · $21,046 in-state
Median household income
$82K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Forest

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

A community college 5.2 miles awayCentral Virginia Community College has 2,417 students on campus in Lynchburg, 45% of whom graduate within three years.In-state price at Virginia Military InstituteLiving in Virginia, Virginia Military Institute charges $21,046 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $52,638. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 10% of residentsAbout the same as Virginia (7%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Forest

Five private colleges within 7.2 miles, and Central Virginia Community College 5.2 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, Virginia Military Institute, is 30 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miLiberty UniversityCentral VirginiaUniversity of LynchburgForest
University or collegeCommunity college
Central Virginia Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,417 on campus · 5.2 mi · Lynchburg$7knet price45%graduate$37kearningsTuition and fees: $5,157 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Liberty UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 15,799 on campus · 5.5 mi · Lynchburg · mostly online99%admitted$29knet price65%graduate$45kearnings85% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.University of LynchburgUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,155 on campus · 5.5 mi · Lynchburg43%admitted$22knet price57%graduate$56kearningsCentra CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 199 on campus · 6 mi · Lynchburg100%admitted100%graduate$60kearningsVirginia University of LynchburgUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 144 on campus · 7 mi · Lynchburg · mostly online$21knet price38%graduate$28kearnings76% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Randolph CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 612 on campus · 7.2 mi · Lynchburg94%admitted$16knet price46%graduate$53kearnings

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 $75–110k, where Forest’s median household income ($81,552) falls.

Central Virginia Community College5.2 mi · Lynchburg · sticker $12,829 · tuition $5,157$7,982a year
Virginia Military Institute30 mi · Lexington · sticker $34,824$13,385a year
Randolph College7.2 mi · Lynchburg · sticker $45,040$18,260a year
University of Lynchburg5.5 mi · Lynchburg · sticker $50,067$20,707a year
Liberty University5.5 mi · Lynchburg · mostly online · sticker $42,025$27,142a year
Virginia University of Lynchburg7 mi · Lynchburg · mostly online · sticker $25,328—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: 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 →Central VirginiaLiberty UniversityUniversity of LynchburgCentra CollegeRandolph CollegeVirginia Military Institute
Liberty University65% graduate$45k earnings$24k typical debt
Central Virginia Community College45% graduate$37k earnings$9k typical debt
University of Lynchburg57% graduate$56k earnings$27k typical debt
Virginia Military Institute76% graduate$77k earnings$23k typical debt
Randolph College46% graduate$53k earnings$27k typical debt
Centra College100% graduate$60k earnings$15k typical debt
Virginia University of Lynchburg38% graduate$28k earnings$24k 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.

Questions about college near Forest

Is Forest a college town?

No. About 10 of every 100 Forest residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Virginia (7). The nearest campus, Central Virginia Community College, is 5.2 miles away in Lynchburg.

What colleges are near Forest?

Within 15 miles: Central Virginia Community College (5.2 miles, 2,417 students on campus), Liberty University (5.5 miles, 15,799), the University of Lynchburg (5.5 miles, 2,155), Centra College (6 miles, 199), Virginia University of Lynchburg (7 miles, 144) and Randolph College (7.2 miles, 612).

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

Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, 5.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,157 a year for Virginia residents; the federal net price, $6,928, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Virginia Military Institute cost if we live in Virginia?

Tuition and fees are $21,046 a year in-state and $52,638 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $12,697 (under $30,000 income) to $23,434 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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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 Forest. 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 →