Education
The Fredericksburg Region’s reputation for standardized test scores above the national average is a great lure for both business and families. Excellent public and private schools contribute to a high quality of life and prepare students for the future. Educators and administrators routinely win praise for creating challenging learning environments and spurring students to reach their potential.
Newcomers are also attracted to the region’s diverse selection of colleges that offer affordable tuition, credit and non-credit courses, online distance learning and flexible class schedules. These colleges prepare traditional students and working adults for the specific needs of the workplace.
The University of Mary Washington is a coeducational public institution with an undergraduate residential campus in Fredericksburg and a graduate and professional studies campus in nearby Stafford County. Growth abounds on the main campus, where the William M. Anderson Center, a multi-use convocation facility, was recently dedicated. UMW is also increasingly a driver of the area’s economy, as evidenced by Eagle Village, a mixed-use facility that includes restaurants, shops, office space, dormitories and a parking garage.
The university, with a total enrollment of nearly 5,000 students, is known for its commitment to academic excellence, a strong undergraduate liberal arts program and dedication to lifelong learning and professional development. U.S. News & World Report has repeatedly listed UMW as among the best values for a school of its size.
In addition to its traditional four-year degree programs, the university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates for working adults at its College of Graduate and Professional Studies.
Germanna Community College, one of the fastest growing community colleges in Virginia, serves more than 11,000 credit and non-credit students annually at its Fredericksburg, Locust Grove and Stafford campuses. Germanna offers associate degrees, certificates, occupational-technical programs and college transfer programs.
A fourth location, Germanna’s Center for Advanced Technology, offers both credit and non-credit classes. It also provides workforce and development instruction and technology training. The center features a multi-purpose hall that seats up to 750 people, as well as an executive conference center and an advanced manufacturing lab that is designed to host training activities for business and industry.
Germanna is one of three community colleges in the state selected to pilot the Commonwealth Nursing Program that combines online course work with laboratory and clinical experience. The program allows students to earn an associate in applied science degree in preparation for the national licensing exam for registered nurses.
Other post-secondary educational institutions with a presence in the Fredericksburg Region include Bluefield College with its Accelerated Degree programs; Strayer University (a multi-campus business school for working adults); Old Dominion University, which offers various degrees through Teletechnet at Germanna; the University of Richmond’s Weekend College, which allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in two years at Germanna; and National University, which offers classes at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
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