Best CNA Schools in Virginia: Top-Ranked Programs for 2027

Three of Virginia's largest metro corridors, Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads, are adding hospital beds and long-term care capacity faster than they can staff them, and certified nursing assistants fill the front line of that gap.

Training costs vary sharply depending on where you enroll. Some hospital systems and nursing homes cover tuition outright for candidates willing to commit to a work agreement, while community colleges charge modest program fees that still require textbooks, a criminal background check, and exam costs on top.

That spread means two people can earn the identical state credential while spending wildly different amounts to get there, which makes program selection, not just exam readiness, the real decision point for most Virginia applicants.

Virginia's Most Affordable CNA Programs, Ranked for 2027

Virginia's community college system makes CNA training unusually accessible, with short-term workforce courses and credit-bearing certificates available from the Blue Ridge to Hampton Roads. The schools below pair low net prices with aid pathways built specifically for Virginia residents, including FastForward and G3 funding that can cut tuition sharply or cover it entirely. Each entry notes what the school is known for locally and the programs it actually enrolls students into.

Your Questions About CNA Training in Virginia, Answered

Before you enroll in a program or sit for the state exam, it helps to know exactly what Virginia expects. Below are the questions prospective nursing assistants ask most often, answered with the specifics that matter.

How to Get Your CNA Certification in Virginia: A Clear Path

Becoming a certified nursing assistant in Virginia follows a straightforward sequence. While the overall timeline varies depending on program format and exam scheduling, most candidates move from start to certification in about 6 to 12 weeks. Here is exactly what each stage involves and how to keep things moving.

Virginia CNA Training Hours and What They Actually Cover

Competing numbers circulate online: some sources claim 120 hours, others list 140 or even 150. Knowing which figure actually applies to your training matters, because falling short of the real requirement means you cannot sit for the state exam.

The Current Virginia Requirement

Under regulation 18VAC90-26, the Virginia Board of Nursing mandates a minimum of 140 clock hours for standard CNA education programs. This is the number in effect as of 2026, and it governs every approved training program in the state. The regulation breaks those hours into specific components:

• Classroom instruction: Covers the bulk of the curriculum, including infection control, patient rights, communication skills, nutrition, body mechanics, and basic anatomy.
• Laboratory skills: At least 20 hours devoted to hands-on practice in a controlled lab setting, where you learn skills like taking vital signs, proper positioning, and safe patient transfers before ever touching a real patient.
• Clinical training: A minimum of 40 hours of supervised, direct client care in an actual healthcare facility, typically a long-term care or skilled nursing setting.

Why You See Different Numbers

The 120-hour figure you may encounter on other websites either references outdated information or applies to a different credential entirely. Virginia Administrative Code section 18VAC90-25-110 sets 120 hours for advanced certified nurse aide training, not the standard CNA program. Meanwhile, the federal CMS minimum of 75 hours confuses things further, because every state is free to set a higher bar, and Virginia does.

When Programs Exceed the Minimum

Many Virginia programs run 160 or more total hours. That extra time is not filler. Programs that exceed the state minimum often add simulation scenarios, expanded clinical rotations, or dedicated exam review sessions. Students in longer programs tend to feel more confident heading into the certification exam, and that confidence translates into stronger first-attempt pass rates. If you are comparing programs, do not automatically choose the shortest option. A few additional weeks of training can make a real difference in your readiness on test day.

What CNA Training Actually Costs, and How to Pay Less

No-Cost CNA Programs and nearly $4,000 price tags for the same certification both happen in Virginia, sometimes within the same region. Across the state's approved programs, total program costs run from roughly $1,050 to $3,840 once tuition, textbooks, and exam fees are added together, and the $140 state exam fee ($45 written, $95 skills) applies no matter where you train. The gap between those numbers usually comes down to how to afford nursing school, not quality.

Workforce Funding Can Cover It Entirely

Virginia Career Works centers administer WIOA Individual Training Accounts worth $3,000 to $5,000, which is typically enough to pay full tuition at most Virginia CNA programs. Eligibility generally targets unemployed or underemployed adults, dislocated workers, and young adults entering the workforce. Programs like Moon River Nursing Careers in Northern Virginia are structured specifically around this funding. Applying starts with a visit or call to your local Career Works center, where a coach verifies eligibility and connects you to an approved training provider before you enroll.

Employer-Sponsored Training

Many nursing homes and long-term care facilities will train you for free if you commit to working for them after certification. Heritage Care in Northern Virginia offers a 144-hour program at no cost while grant funding lasts, tied to one year of full-time employment. Kissito Healthcare and Bridgewater Retirement Community run similar employer-linked training. Richmond-area facilities, including several Laurels and HCR ManorCare locations, offer comparable six-to-eight-week arrangements. Terms vary by employer, so confirm background check costs, uniform expenses, and any pay during training before committing.

High School and Accelerated Paths

High school CTE Nurse Aide programs deliver the full 140-hour curriculum over an academic year at no tuition cost for enrolled students. Four-week accelerated formats compress the same required hours into a faster timeline rather than cutting content, making them a strong option for adults who can't commit to a semester-long schedule.

Passing the Virginia CNA Exam: Format, Fees, and First-Attempt Tips

The tradeoff on exam day is preparation depth versus time and money spent retesting: a solid first attempt costs $140, while stumbles mean paying component fees again and waiting to reschedule. Understanding the format before you sit down is the cheapest study aid there is.

What the Exam Looks Like

Virginia uses the Credentia NNAAP exam, split into two independent parts:

• Written or oral knowledge test: 70 questions total (60 scored, 10 unscored pretest items), with a 120-minute time limit. The oral version is offered in English and Spanish for candidates who prefer listening over reading.
• Clinical skills evaluation: 5 skills drawn at random from a pool of roughly 23, completed in 25 minutes. Hand hygiene and a measurement task (blood pressure, pulse, or weight) show up frequently.

Fees and Retake Rules

The knowledge test costs $45, the skills evaluation $95, for $140 total on a first sitting. Virginia Board of Nursing certification itself carries no initial application fee; renewals cost $30 every two years. Fees are not refundable. If you pass one component and fail the other, you only retake and repay for the failed portion. You get 3 attempts per component within 24 months of finishing your training program. Miss that window and you must retrain before testing again.

First-Attempt Study Tips

• Download the current NNAAP Candidate Handbook from Credentia and work through the skill checklists line by line, exactly as evaluators score them.
• Rehearse skills out loud with a partner playing the resident, so verbal cues and privacy steps become automatic.
• Drill infection control and safety, which appear in nearly every skills scenario.
• Take at least one timed practice knowledge test to build pacing.

CNA Pay in Virginia: How Location Shapes Your Paycheck

Where you work in Virginia has a real impact on your CNA earnings. The statewide median annual wage for nursing assistants is approximately $43,200, based on the most recent federal data available. That figure sits above the national median for the occupation, making Virginia a relatively competitive market for CNAs. The Washington, D.C. metro area (which includes Northern Virginia) offers the highest median hourly wage among major Virginia metros, though the region's elevated cost of living offsets a meaningful portion of that pay advantage. Richmond and the Virginia Beach/Norfolk corridor post lower hourly medians but also come with more affordable day to day expenses.

Growing Beyond CNA: Advancement Paths in Virginia

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median annual wages of roughly $38,200 for nursing assistants, $59,700 for licensed practical nurses, and $86,000 for registered nurses, so each rung up the ladder can add tens of thousands to your paycheck, a clear LPN vs ADN vs BSN payoff.

Virginia's community college system makes that climb structured rather than speculative. Most colleges in the Virginia Community Colleges network offer practical nursing certificates that accept prior CNA coursework and clinical hours, letting you move from CNA to LPN in roughly 12 to 18 months. From there, LPN to RN programs at schools like Tidewater Community College, J. Sargeant Reynolds, and Germanna let you finish an ADN in about a year of additional study, and RN-to-BSN completion programs are widely available online through Old Dominion, George Mason, and Radford.

Let Your Employer Help Pay

Many hospital-based nursing programs at Virginia systems, including Sentara, VCU Health, Inova, and HCA Virginia, offer tuition reimbursement or forgivable loans to CNAs who commit to continuing their nursing education. Ask about these benefits before you enroll: they can cover a substantial share of your bridge program.

More Virginia CNA Programs Worth Exploring

Virginia's CNA training options extend well beyond the ranked programs above, and many of the state's community colleges and hospital-affiliated schools run short nurse aide certificates through their workforce divisions. The directory below is grouped by region so you can scan for something within commuting distance, with each entry noting the campus location, format, and program details reported by the school.

Northern Virginia

Central Virginia

Hampton Roads

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