Defunct for-profit college chain offering career-focused programs across the southeastern United States (1983–2018).
Virginia College offered certificates, diplomas, and degrees in health care, cosmetology, business, criminal justice, paralegal studies, network engineering, and professional trades such as truck driving. The institution also provided online degree programs through Virginia College Online. Curriculum was designed for specific career preparation rather than traditional liberal arts education.
Initially accredited by ACICS, Virginia College sought alternative accreditation from ACCET after the U.S. Department of Education withdrew recognition from ACICS in September 2016. The college's accreditation proposal to ACCET was rejected in March 2018, and a subsequent appeal was also denied. In September 2018, the company announced approximately one-third of campuses would close by 2020. By December 2018, all remaining campuses were closed due to financial challenges and unresolved accreditation issues.
Virginia College faced multiple lawsuits alleging fraud and misleading practices. In 2012, the Mississippi Center for Justice sued on behalf of seven students, claiming the college misled students about degree value and targeted misleading advertising to women and minority students. In 2022, Virginia College was included in a class action settlement involving over 200,000 student borrowers, with the court finding 'substantial misconduct' by the institution. The Supreme Court upheld the settlement in April 2023, allowing debt cancellation to proceed.