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Colleges in and near Lafayette

Roanoke College is 9.2 miles from Lafayette

No college sits inside Lafayette’s boundary, but Roanoke College’s campus in Salem, with 1,835 students on campus, is 9.2 miles from the center of town, and Virginia Western Community College is 12.8 miles away in Roanoke. About 6% of Lafayette’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 Lafayette. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
6
46,477 students on campus
Nearest college
9.2 mi
Roanoke College
Residents in college
6%
About the same as VA (7%)
Nearest community college
12.8 mi
Virginia Western · $5,400 tuition
Nearest public university
12.1 mi
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State · $15,948 in-state
Median household income
$35K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Lafayette

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

A college 9.2 miles awayRoanoke College has 1,835 students on campus in Salem, 67% of whom graduate within six years.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.A community college 12.8 miles awayVirginia Western Community College in Roanoke: tuition and fees $5,400 a year for Virginia residents.Students are 6% 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 Lafayette

Four private colleges within 11.3 miles, one public college within 12.1 miles, and Virginia Western Community College 12.8 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miVirginia WesternLafayette
University or collegeCommunity college
Roanoke CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,835 on campus · 9.2 mi · Salem83%admitted$25knet price67%graduate$58kearningsGalen Health Institutes-RoanokeUniversity or college · For-profit · 173 on campus · 9.3 mi · Roanoke$27knet price$61kearningsEarnings are reported for all 20 campuses that file with it.American National UniversityUniversity or college · For-profit · 194 on campus · 11 mi · Salem · mostly online$18knet price33%graduate$26kearnings76% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Edward Via College of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,596 on campus · 11.3 mi · BlacksburgGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 36,796 on campus · 12.1 mi · Blacksburg55%admitted$25knet price86%graduate$82kearningsVirginia Western Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 4,883 on campus · 12.8 mi · Roanoke$5knet price40%graduate$39kearningsTuition and fees: $5,400 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

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 $30–48k, where Lafayette’s median household income ($34,596) falls.

Virginia Western Community College12.8 mi · Roanoke · sticker $11,768 · tuition $5,400$4,770a year
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University12.1 mi · Blacksburg · sticker $36,951$11,670a year
American National University11 mi · Salem · mostly online · sticker $25,159$15,465a year
Roanoke College9.2 mi · Salem · sticker $54,283$17,410a year
Galen Health Institutes-Roanoke9.3 mi · Roanoke · sticker $33,329$27,822a 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 Lafayette: 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 →Roanoke CollegeAmerican National UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and StateVirginia Western
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University86% graduate$82k earnings$22k typical debt
Virginia Western Community College40% graduate$39k earnings$11k typical debt
Roanoke College67% graduate$58k earnings$27k typical debt
American National University33% graduate$26k earnings$13k 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 Lafayette

Is Lafayette a college town?

No. About 6 of every 100 Lafayette residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Virginia (7). The nearest campus, Roanoke College, is 9.2 miles away in Salem.

What colleges are near Lafayette?

Within 15 miles: Roanoke College (9.2 miles, 1,835 students on campus), Galen Health Institutes-Roanoke (9.3 miles, 173), American National University (11 miles, 194), Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (11.3 miles, 2,596), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (12.1 miles, 36,796) and Virginia Western Community College (12.8 miles, 4,883).

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

Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, 12.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,400 a year for Virginia residents; the federal net price, $4,966, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University cost if we live in Virginia?

Tuition and fees are $15,948 a year in-state and $37,764 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $11,689 (under $30,000 income) to $34,201 (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 Lafayette. 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 →