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2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

25 Ranked Colleges
3,513 Degrees Awarded
$17,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 107,165 general biology students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,334 and had an average of $23,818 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 3,513 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,417 and $24,714 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in general biology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general biology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general biology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The biology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia

1
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 141 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $5,972 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at William & Mary

2
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 351 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $12,476 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Virginia General Biology Report

3
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #3 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 335 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $11,934 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Virginia Tech General Biology Report

4
VMI crest
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Military Institute landed the #4 spot on the list. VMI is located in Lexington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

VMI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for VMI is $10,556 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at VMI

5
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Richmond landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Richmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 66 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

URichmond not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $8,010 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Biology at URichmond

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. JMU is a large public school situated in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It awarded 230 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at JMU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $14,288 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full James Madison University General Biology Report

7
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. GMU is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 426 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

GMU also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend GMU is $14,781 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Biology at GMU

8
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Old Dominion is a large school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 235 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Old Dominion, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $13,335 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Old Dominion University.

Full Old Dominion University General Biology Report

9

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 506 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

VCU also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for VCU is $14,507 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University

10
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, Virginia

Radford University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Radford is a medium-sized public school situated in Radford, Virginia. It awarded 80 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Radford also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $11,420 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Radford.

Full Radford University General Biology Report

11
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fredericksburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 101 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMW has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Mary Washington is $14,589 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMW General Biology Report

12
CNU crest
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CNU is a small school located in Newport News, Virginia that handed out 153 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CNU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Christopher Newport University is $15,862 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at CNU

13
Bridgewater crest
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, Virginia

Bridgewater College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Bridgewater, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biology degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

Bridgewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater is $16,714 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Bridgewater College

14
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, Virginia

Roanoke College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salem, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Roanoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Roanoke College is $20,495 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Roanoke College General Biology Report

15
Virginia State crest
Virginia State University
Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Petersburg, Virginia, and it awarded 54 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia State also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia State University is $15,823 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Biology at Virginia State University

16
Randolph crest
Randolph College
Lynchburg, Virginia

Randolph College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Randolph is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Randolph, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph College is $18,038 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Randolph College General Biology Report

17
Lynchburg crest
University of Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia

University of Lynchburg did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 36 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lynchburg has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Lynchburg is $17,706 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Lynchburg

18
Randolph - Macon crest
Randolph - Macon College
Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Randolph - Macon is a small school located in Ashland, Virginia that handed out 47 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Randolph - Macon also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $20,454 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Randolph - Macon.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about General Biology at Randolph - Macon

19
Hollins crest
Hollins University
Roanoke, Virginia

Hollins University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Roanoke, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biology degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

Hollins also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $14,772 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hollins University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Hollins

20
Hampden - Sydney crest
Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Hampden - Sydney College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hampden - Sydney College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. It awarded 25 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Hampden - Sydney did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hampden - Sydney College is $25,847 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Biology at Hampden - Sydney College

21
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia

Shenandoah University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Shenandoah University is located in Winchester, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Shenandoah, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Shenandoah University is $27,173 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Shenandoah General Biology Report

22
Marymount crest
Marymount University
Arlington, Virginia

Marymount University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marymount University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Arlington, Virginia. It awarded 31 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Marymount also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Marymount is $21,228 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Marymount

23
VUU crest
Virginia Union University
Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Union University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 30 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VUU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $18,941 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend VUU.

Full Virginia Union University General Biology Report

24
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 143 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Liberty University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $29,786 for virginia biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Liberty University.

Read full report on General Biology at Liberty University

25
Hampton crest
Hampton University
Hampton, Virginia

With a ranking of #25, Hampton University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Hampton, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 78 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.

Hampton also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $29,889 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hampton.

Read more about General Biology at Hampton University

Notes and References

References

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