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2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

29 Ranked Colleges
2,913 Degrees Awarded
$21,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

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 for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 102,043 general biology students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $28,233 and had an average of $23,964 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 3,420 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,143 and $25,518 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,913 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 29 colleges that offer 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology in Virginia (With Aid)

#1

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Military Institute landed the #1 spot on the list. Virginia Military Institute is a public institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VMI also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Military Institute is $17,804 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at VMI

#2

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 #2 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 137 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $19,800 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend William & Mary.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at William & Mary

#2

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 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 281 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, University of Virginia has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $20,397 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#4

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 197 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

JMU also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $22,169 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend JMU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Biology at JMU

#5

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 309 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Virginia Tech General Biology Report

#6

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. George Mason University is a public institution located in Fairfax, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 266 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $21,048 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend GMU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Biology at GMU

#7

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.

Radford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Radford is $16,447 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

Read full report on General Biology at Radford

#8

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Old Dominion University is a large school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 203 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Old Dominion did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $16,493 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend Old Dominion.

Read more about General Biology at Old Dominion

Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 352 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $22,021 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend VCU.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fredericksburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 89 students in 2019-2020.

UMW also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $21,907 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend UMW.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMW General Biology Report

#11

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Ashland, Virginia, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, Randolph - Macon has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph - Macon is $26,370 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Randolph - Macon General Biology Report

#12

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Newport News, Virginia, this small public school handed out 157 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, CNU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Christopher Newport University is $25,596 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Christopher Newport University General Biology Report

#13

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Petersburg, Virginia, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Virginia State University is $16,970 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

Full Virginia State University General Biology Report

#14

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia

Longwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Longwood University is a public institution located in Farmville, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Longwood also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Longwood University is $19,462 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

Full Longwood General Biology Report

#15

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia

With a ranking of #15, Bridgewater College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Bridgewater, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater is $17,929 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

Full Bridgewater General Biology Report

#16

Hollins University

Roanoke, Virginia

Hollins University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Roanoke, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,603 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend Hollins.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Hollins University

#17

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

Washington and Lee University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Washington and Lee, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $22,615 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend Washington and Lee University.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Washington and Lee University General Biology Report

#18

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia

Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Arlington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

Marymount also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $26,078 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend Marymount.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Marymount

#19

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #19, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. URichmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 53 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, URichmond has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $25,838 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Biology at University of Richmond

#20

Hampton University

Hampton, Virginia

Hampton University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Hampton, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.

Hampton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Hampton is $31,307 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

Read full report on General Biology at Hampton

#21

Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar, Virginia

Sweet Briar College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Sweet Briar is a small school located in Sweet Briar, Virginia that handed out 11 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Sweet Briar also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Sweet Briar is $25,039 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Biology at Sweet Briar

#22

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia

Roanoke College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Roanoke is a small school located in Salem, Virginia that handed out 36 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, Roanoke has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roanoke is $25,135 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Roanoke College

#23

Randolph College

Lynchburg, Virginia

Randolph College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Randolph is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Randolph, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $20,625 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid per year to attend Randolph College.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General Biology at Randolph

#24

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Wesleyan University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid list, VWU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Wesleyan University is $23,425 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students with aid.

Read more about General Biology at VWU

#25

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Union University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. VUU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $21,813 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students with aid per year to attend Virginia Union University.

Full Virginia Union University General Biology Report

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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