Public · Community college

Tidewater Community College

Norfolk, Virginia · Midsize city

15%
Transfer rate: $11,762
Avg net price: 32%
Grad / completion: $38,349
Median earnings

Tidewater Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Norfolk, Virginia (midsize city setting), enrolling 12,082 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicMidsize · 12,082 undergradsMidsize cityCold wintersNear the coast

About Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. In the late sixteenth century, the area that is now Norfolk was inhabited by the Chesepian people, who referred to the land as "K'che-sepi-ack." According to historical accounts from William Strachy, the Chesepian settlements were destroyed by the Powhatan shortly before the establishment of Jamestown in 1607. In addition to its museums, Norfolk is the principal home for several major performing arts organizations. The city hosts numerous annual festivals and parades, many in Town Point Park or elsewhere in downtown. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Midsize city
Highest degree offered: Associate
Nearest big city: Norfolk, VA
To the ocean: < 1 mile
Nearest airport: 6 miles to Norfolk (ORF) · major hub

How Tidewater Community College compares

Graduation rate32%

Higher than 15% · #61 of 65 in Virginia

First-year retention64%

Higher than 31%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$38,349

Higher than 62% · #25 of 62 in Virginia

Average net price$11,762

Cheaper than 63% · #28 cheapest of 61 in Virginia

Median debt at graduation$10,000

Lower than 46%

Student–faculty ratio22 : 1

Lower than 21%

Undergraduate enrollment12,082

Larger than 97%

Percentiles compare Tidewater Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Virginia.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

Women7,24260%
Men4,84040%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White40%
Black32%
Hispanic12%
Asian4.8%
Other or multiracial12%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 12,082
Student–faculty ratio: 22 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 30%
First-generation students: 42%
Students over 25: 31%
Median family income: $23,027
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $74,169
Endowment: $3,396,465

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 2,991 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From Virginia99%
Other U.S. states1.4%

Most first-years stay in state — Tidewater Community College draws overwhelmingly from Virginia.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Cost

In-state tuition: $5,588
Out-of-state tuition: $12,296
Room & board: —
Books & supplies: $1,500
Total cost of attendance: $19,788
Average net price: $11,762

Outcomes

Graduated: 32%
First-year retention: 64%
Transferred to another college: 15%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $32,700
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $38,349
Median debt at graduation: $10,000
Students with federal loans: 8%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 27%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students

32%

Low-income (Pell)

16%

First-generation

17%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing: No
Application fee: Free

Campus safety

Safety grade: A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students: 0.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024): 0
Property offenses (2022–2024): 1

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

0.3reported offenses a year

0 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary

0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k

$10,222

$30–48k

$10,613

$48–75k

$12,473

$75–110k

$15,804

$110k+

$18,652

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

15%

of first-years get a grant from the school

$3,127

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 15% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,127. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,489 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years): $38,349
Typical debt at graduation: $10,000
Debt vs. one year's pay: 26%
Out-earn a HS grad: 42%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women

$35,734

Men

$43,538

Men out-earn women by $7,804 (22%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high: 88°F
Winter low: 32°F
Annual rain: 53.3″
Annual snow: 6.2″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Norfolk S, VA US station (3.7 mi from campus).

What Tidewater Community College graduates study — and earn

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssoc.

600 grads$27k 1 yr$41k 5 yr$11k debt

600$27,294$40,534$11,000 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCert.

281 grads$35k 1 yr— 5 yr$7k debt

281$34,696—$7,000 Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssoc.

264 grads$36k 1 yr$48k 5 yr$12k debt

264$35,919$48,451$11,950 Social Sciences, GeneralAssoc.

202 grads$29k 1 yr$37k 5 yr$11k debt

202$29,425$36,694$11,000 Biological and Physical SciencesAssoc.

171 grads$31k 1 yr$41k 5 yr$10k debt

171$30,605$41,396$9,787 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCert.

143 grads$22k 1 yr— 5 yr$11k debt

143$21,889—$11,000 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansCert.

120 grads$54k 1 yr$61k 5 yr$11k debt

120$54,461$60,555$11,250 Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementAssoc.

94 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

94———Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCert.

91 grads$43k 1 yr— 5 yr$12k debt

91$42,572—$11,687 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssoc.

85 grads$63k 1 yr$67k 5 yr$13k debt

85$62,524$67,446$12,530 Ground TransportationCert.

75 grads$39k 1 yr$46k 5 yr$6k debt

75$39,383$45,546$6,464 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCert.

74 grads$32k 1 yr— 5 yr$15k debt

74$31,688—$14,942

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Tidewater Community College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Tidewater Community College side by side →

Virginia Peninsula Community College

Public

Hampton, Virginia · Large suburb · 16 mi to Norfolk

Students: 3,941
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 16%
Earnings: $38k

Greenville Technical College

Public

Greenville, South Carolina · Small city · 2 mi to Greenville

Students: 8,916
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 21%
Earnings: $39k

Community College of Philadelphia

Public

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Large city · 1 mi to Philadelphia

Students: 11,948
Tuition: $5k
Transfer: 12%
Earnings: $41k

Texas State Technical College

Public

Waco, Texas · Midsize city · 7 mi to Waco

Students: 9,437
Tuition: $7k
Transfer: 9%
Earnings: $39k

Tyler Junior College

Public

Tyler, Texas · Midsize city · 90 mi to Shreveport

Students: 9,087
Tuition: $2k
Transfer: 28%
Earnings: $38k

Los Angeles City College

Public

Los Angeles, California · Large city · 4 mi to Los Angeles

Students: 11,198
Tuition: $1k
Transfer: 8%
Earnings: $36k

Colleges near Tidewater Community College

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, VA · Public · Bachelor's · 5,392 students

2 mi

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA · Public · Bachelor's · 17,514 students

3 mi

Tidewater Tech-Trades

Norfolk, VA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 367 students

3 mi

Central School of Practical Nursing

Norfolk, VA · Public · Certificate · 24 students

5 mi

Centura College-Norfolk

Norfolk, VA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 163 students

5 mi

Fortis College-Norfolk

Norfolk, VA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 399 students

6 mi

Sentara College of Health Sciences

Chesapeake, VA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 242 students

6 mi

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,256 students

6 mi

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.