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Colleges in and near Mechanicsville

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing is 4.5 miles from Mechanicsville

No college sits inside Mechanicsville’s boundary, but Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing’s campus in Richmond, with 477 students on campus, is 4.5 miles from the center of town, and J Sargeant Reynolds Community College is 6.5 miles away in Richmond. About 4% of Mechanicsville’s residents are enrolled in college, below 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 Mechanicsville. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
11
39,281 students on campus
Nearest college
4.5 mi
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
Residents in college
4%
Below VA (7%)
Nearest community college
6.5 mi
J Sargeant Reynolds · $5,280 tuition
Nearest public university
7.7 mi
Virginia Commonwealth University · $16,945 in-state
Median household income
$99K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Mechanicsville

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

A college 4.5 miles awayBon Secours Memorial College of Nursing has 477 students on campus in Richmond.A community college 6.5 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.Students are 4% of residentsBelow Virginia (7%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Mechanicsville

Nine private colleges within 13.5 miles, one public college within 7.7 miles, and J Sargeant Reynolds Community College 6.5 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miVirginia Commonwealth UniversityJ Sargeant ReynoldsUniversity of RichmondMechanicsville
University or collegeCommunity college
Bon Secours Memorial College of NursingUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 477 on campus · 4.5 mi · Richmond$77kearningsUnion Presbyterian SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 163 on campus · 6.3 mi · RichmondGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.J Sargeant Reynolds Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 5,512 on campus · 6.5 mi · Richmond$5knet price32%graduate$40kearningsTuition and fees: $5,280 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Virginia Union UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,153 on campus · 7 mi · Richmond98%admitted$13knet price34%graduate$38kearningsVirginia Commonwealth UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 25,603 on campus · 7.7 mi · Richmond93%admitted$23knet price63%graduate$58kearningsFortis College-RichmondUniversity or college · For-profit · 399 on campus · 8 mi · Richmond$25knet price50%graduate$33kearningsEarnings are reported for all 3 campuses that file with it.University of RichmondUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,630 on campus · 10.7 mi · University of Richmond22%admitted$31knet price85%graduate$76kearningsRandolph-Macon CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,523 on campus · 11.3 mi · Ashland87%admitted$28knet price70%graduate$58kearningsLotus Professional CollegeUniversity or college · For-profit · 161 on campus · 12.4 mi · RichmondGalen Health Institutes-RichmondUniversity or college · For-profit · 374 on campus · 12.8 mi · Richmond$24knet price$61kearningsEarnings are reported for all 20 campuses that file with it.South University-RichmondUniversity or college · For-profit · 286 on campus · 13.5 mi · Glen Allen$30knet price42%graduate$34kearningsEarnings are reported for all 10 campuses that file with it.

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 $75–110k, where Mechanicsville’s median household income ($98,595) falls.

J Sargeant Reynolds Community College6.5 mi · Richmond · sticker $12,428 · tuition $5,280$9,249a year
Virginia Union University7 mi · Richmond · sticker $29,075$21,362a year
University of Richmond10.7 mi · University of Richmond · sticker $80,961$22,021a year
Galen Health Institutes-Richmond12.8 mi · Richmond · sticker $31,963$24,387a year
Virginia Commonwealth University7.7 mi · Richmond · sticker $38,954$24,691a year
Randolph-Macon College11.3 mi · Ashland · sticker $63,985$26,303a year
Fortis College-Richmond8 mi · Richmond · sticker $31,646—a year
South University-Richmond13.5 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 Mechanicsville: 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 →J Sargeant ReynoldsVirginia Union UniversityVirginia Commonwealth UniversityFortis College-RichmondUniversity of RichmondRandolph-Macon College
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: Fortis College-Richmond (3); South University-Richmond (10).

Questions about college near Mechanicsville

Is Mechanicsville a college town?

No. About 4 of every 100 Mechanicsville residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Virginia (7). The nearest campus, Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing, is 4.5 miles away in Richmond.

What colleges are near Mechanicsville?

11 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: Virginia Commonwealth University (7.7 miles, 25,603 students on campus), J Sargeant Reynolds Community College (6.5 miles, 5,512) and the University of Richmond (10.7 miles, 3,630).

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

J Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, 6.5 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 much does Virginia Commonwealth University cost if we live in Virginia?

Tuition and fees are $16,945 a year in-state and $40,109 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $17,512 (under $30,000 income) to $32,739 (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 Mechanicsville. 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 →