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2023 Best Value Colleges for Education in Virginia (With Aid)

21 Ranked Colleges
9,662 Degrees Awarded
$21,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 327,871 education students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $46,202 and had an average of $24,437 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 9,662 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,428 and $28,333 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great education programs and 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 education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Education Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Education in Virginia (With Aid)

1
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 #1 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 369 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also took the #1 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $22,006 for virginia education students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Education Report

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 276 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech also took the #3 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $21,301 for Virginia Education students with aid per year to attend Virginia Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Virginia Tech

3
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. GMU is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 1,351 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU also took the #2 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for George Mason University is $19,551 for virginia education students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Education at GMU

4
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Regent University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 454 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

Regent also made our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $24,888 for virginia education students with aid per year to attend Regent University.

Read full report on Education at Regent

5
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Old Dominion University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this large public school handed out 691 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

Old Dominion also took the #8 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Old Dominion University is $17,204 for Virginia Education students with aid.

Full Old Dominion Education Report

6
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 156 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

William & Mary not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,593 for virginia education students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at William & Mary

7
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. James Madison University is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 416 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia education students with aid list, JMU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $22,562 for virginia education students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Education at James Madison University

8
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, Virginia

With a ranking of #8, Radford University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Radford, Virginia, this medium-sized public school awarded 289 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Radford, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Radford University is $16,505 for Virginia Education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Radford University

9

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 734 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

VCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend VCU is $20,490 for virginia education students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Commonwealth University Education Report

10
Norfolk State crest
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this medium-sized public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

Norfolk State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Norfolk State is $15,657 for virginia education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Norfolk State University

11
Emory & Henry College crest
Emory and Henry College
Emory, Virginia

Emory and Henry College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Emory, Virginia, and it awarded 38 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia education students with aid list, Emory & Henry College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emory and Henry College is $17,245 for Virginia Education students with aid.

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.

Full Emory and Henry College Education Report

12
Longwood crest
Longwood University
Farmville, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, Longwood University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Longwood is a public institution located in Farmville, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 167 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia education students with aid list, Longwood has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Longwood is $19,545 for Virginia Education students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Education at Longwood

12
Virginia State crest
Virginia State University
Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Virginia State is a small public school situated in Petersburg, Virginia. It awarded 64 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia State also made our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Virginia State University is $17,237 for Virginia Education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Virginia State University

14
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #14, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 51 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

URichmond also made our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $27,050 for Virginia Education students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full URichmond Education Report

15
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. UMW is a small public school situated in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It awarded 114 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

UMW also made our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for UMW is $23,193 for Virginia Education students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at University of Mary Washington

16
Mary Baldwin crest
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, Virginia

Mary Baldwin University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mary Baldwin University is a small school located in Staunton, Virginia that handed out 48 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Mary Baldwin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Mary Baldwin University is $18,354 for virginia education students with aid.

Read more about Education at Mary Baldwin University

17
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 3,637 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Liberty University also made our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $29,382 for virginia education students with aid.

Full Liberty University Education Report

18
CNU crest
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Christopher Newport University is a small school located in Newport News, Virginia that handed out 49 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CNU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CNU is $25,855 for virginia education students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Education at CNU

19
Lynchburg crest
University of Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia

University of Lynchburg came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Lynchburg is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 83 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia education students with aid list, Lynchburg has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lynchburg is $23,134 for virginia education students with aid.

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. 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%.

Full University of Lynchburg Education Report

20
Marymount crest
Marymount University
Arlington, Virginia

Marymount University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Marymount University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Arlington, Virginia. It awarded 56 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $22,856 for Virginia Education students with aid per year to attend Marymount.

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%.

Read more about Education at Marymount University

21
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia

With a ranking of #21, Shenandoah University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Shenandoah University is a small school located in Winchester, Virginia that handed out 133 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Shenandoah, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Education Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Shenandoah University is $30,878 for Virginia Education students with aid.

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.

Read full report on Education at Shenandoah

Notes and References

References

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