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Is Tidewater Community College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Tidewater Community, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Tidewater Community sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $41,596 helps, but median debt of $8,657 plus yearly net price of $11,681 creates a tighter path. For context, Tidewater Community's net price is about 1% above the typical 2-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 791 similar 2-year, public schools
This school
$7,599
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $44 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $0 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$11,681
Median earnings 10 years out
$41,596
Median debt at graduation
$8,657
Graduation rate
32%
At Tidewater Community, a typical graduate carries about $8,657 in student debt and earns roughly $41,596 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $98 per month, or 3% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $8,553 more than the typical working high school graduate in Virginia ($33,043) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
60% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in Virginia ($33,043).
Design and Applied Arts
Associate degree · 55 working graduates counted
$28,976
$4,067 below the benchmark
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
Certificate · 104 working graduates counted
$29,316
$3,727 below the benchmark
Teaching Assistants/Aides
Certificate · 45 working graduates counted
$30,002
$3,041 below the benchmark
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
Associate degree · 47 working graduates counted
$30,269
$2,774 below the benchmark
Design and Applied Arts
Certificate · 26 working graduates counted
$30,658
$2,385 below the benchmark
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Certificate · 62 working graduates counted
$30,842
$2,201 below the benchmark
Hospitality Administration/Management
Certificate · 52 working graduates counted
$34,757
$1,714 above the benchmark
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Certificate · 34 working graduates counted
$35,513
$2,470 above the benchmark
Culinary Arts and Related Services
Associate degree · 36 working graduates counted
$37,564
$4,521 above the benchmark
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Certificate · 48 working graduates counted
$37,855
$4,812 above the benchmark
43 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent Tidewater Community College and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
Tidewater Community is a two year school in Norfolk, VA. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
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2-year
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2-year
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Common questions about Tidewater Community
The median net price at Tidewater Community is $11,681 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at community colleges options in Virginia? See the most affordable community colleges in Virginia →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Tidewater Community in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$11,681a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →