Access to an eager workforce

The Tri-Cities is one of the fastest-growing MSA areas in the country, with a workforce known for its dedication. Twenty-seven four-year colleges and universities and 13 community colleges are located within three hours of Bristol Virginia and help grow this workforce each year.

Notably, five of these school hold certifications from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET):  East Tennessee State University, Radford University, Virginia Tech, Appalachian State University and Western Carolina University.

East Tennessee State University alone produces more than 250 graduates annually through its Digital Media Lab and offers programs with specialized concentrations in areas such as modeling and simulation.

The University of Virginia's College at Wise also offers IT and computer science classes at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in nearby Abingdon, Virginia, and IT fast-track programs, organized through the Virginia Community College System, are taught at three community colleges.

To feed the computer gaming segment, New River Community College in Dublin, Virginia, offers a Game Design and Development Specialization degree.

The region also has several other impressive academic programs, including East Tennessee State University’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine and the ETSU College of Pharmacy (Johnson City). Grundy, Virginia, is home to the Appalachian School of Law, as well as the University of Appalachia College of Pharmacy, the state’s only three-year accelerated doctor of pharmacy program.  

Click for Colleges, Community Colleges,
and Universities Three Hours or Less From Bristol