2023 Best Education Colleges for Veterans in Virginia
21
Ranked Colleges
9,662
Degrees Awarded
$31,500
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 327,871 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent education programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the education program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Education Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education”.
Top 21 Best Education Colleges for Veterans in Virginia
Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the #1 spot on the list. George Mason University is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 1,351 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
GMU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 38,541 students enrolled at George Mason University, 2,334 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,583 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,710. During this same period, 42 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #2 spot on the list. VCU is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 734 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
VCU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Virginia Commonwealth University supports 29,070 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,085. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Virginia Commonwealth University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education that were part of this year’s ranking, Old Dominion University landed the #3 spot on the list. Norfolk, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 691 students in 2020-2021.
Old Dominion did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Old Dominion supports 24,286 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Old Dominion University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 156 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia vets studying education list, William & Mary has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 8,939 students enrolled at William & Mary, 531 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 349 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,978. During this same period, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. William & Mary does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at William & Mary]](/colleges/college-of-william-and-mary/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education. University of Virginia 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, University of Virginia supports 25,628 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
James Madison University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education list. James Madison University is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 416 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at JMU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 21,594 students enrolled at James Madison University, 842 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 464 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,824. To help with additional expenses, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at JMU]](/colleges/james-madison-university/student-life/veterans/)
Liberty University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education list. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 3,637 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Liberty University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Liberty University supports 93,349 students, and 13,282 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8,897 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,888. To help with additional expenses, 386 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Liberty University Veteran Student Life Report
Virginia Tech ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education list. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 276 students in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 37,024 students enrolled at Virginia Tech, 119 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 108 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,314. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 93%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Virginia Tech]](/colleges/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Regent University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education ranking. Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 454 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Regent also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 10,483 students enrolled at Regent University, 1,414 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,139 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,203. In addition to receiving other benefits, 42 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Regent Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #10, Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education list. Marymount University is a small school located in Arlington, Virginia that handed out 56 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 3,294 students enrolled at Marymount University, 175 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 172 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,047. On top of their other funding sources, 35 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Marymount]](/colleges/marymount-university/student-life/veterans/)
Emory and Henry College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education ranking. Emory and Henry College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Emory, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Emory & Henry College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,230 students enrolled at Emory and Henry College, 23 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,100. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Emory and Henry College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Emory and Henry College Veteran Student Life Report
Christopher Newport University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education ranking. This small school is located in Newport News, Virginia, and it awarded 49 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
CNU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 4,868 students enrolled at Christopher Newport University, 344 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 196 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,614. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 87%.
Full CNU Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, Radford University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education list. This medium-sized school is located in Radford, Virginia, and it awarded 289 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Radford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 10,695 students enrolled at Radford, 460 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 225 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,142. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Radford University]](/colleges/radford-university/student-life/veterans/)
Longwood University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education ranking. Longwood University is a public institution located in Farmville, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 167 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Longwood also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Longwood supports 4,841 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
University of Lynchburg ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education list. 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.
Lynchburg also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 2,692 students enrolled at Lynchburg, 180 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 125 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,684. On top of their other funding sources, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Shenandoah University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education ranking. Shenandoah University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Winchester, Virginia. It awarded 133 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Shenandoah also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 222 of the 4,174 students enrolled at Shenandoah University were GI Bill® students, of which 133 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,576. In addition to receiving other benefits, 36 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Shenandoah University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #17, University of Mary Washington did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education list. Fredericksburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 114 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia vets studying education list, UMW has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Mary Washington supports 4,293 students, and 47 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 39 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,578. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Mary Washington]](/colleges/university-of-mary-washington/student-life/veterans/)
Virginia State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education ranking. Virginia State is located in Petersburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Virginia State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 368 of the 4,020 students enrolled at Virginia State University were GI Bill® students, of which 112 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,578. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Virginia State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Virginia State University]](/colleges/virginia-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Norfolk State University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education list. Norfolk State University is a medium-sized school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 36 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Norfolk State, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Norfolk State supports 5,457 students, and 527 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 208 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,223. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Norfolk State offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Norfolk State Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #20, Mary Baldwin University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Education list. Mary Baldwin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Staunton, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Mary Baldwin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Mary Baldwin supports 2,110 students, and 89 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 52 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,162. On top of their other funding sources, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Mary Baldwin University]](/colleges/mary-baldwin-college/student-life/veterans/)
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