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2025 Best Engineering Schools in Virginia

11 Colleges in Virginia
5,048 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$76,684 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in engineering, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #7 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 11 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Engineering Schools in Virginia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,048 degrees in engineering annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Engineering School

Best Engineering Schools in Virginia The engineering program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Engineering rankings. We derive our Best Overall Engineering School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Engineering Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Engineering
Bachelor's Degrees in Engineering
Master's Degrees in Engineering
Doctor's Degrees in Engineering

The engineering 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 the Best Engineering Schools in Virginia. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Engineering in Virginia

The schools below may not offer all types of engineering degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Engineering

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,111 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$79,500 Median Starting Salary

Virginia Tech is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in engineering. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 2111 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Those engineering students who get their degree from Virginia Tech receive $2,815 more than the average engineering grad.

More information about a degree in engineering from Virginia Tech

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
761 Engineering Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in engineering has to take a look at University of Virginia - Main Campus. University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 761 engineering students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Those engineering students who get their degree from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn $11,963 more than the standard engineering graduate.

More information about a degree in engineering from University of Virginia - Main Campus

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
497 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$83,742 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in engineering has to take a look at George Mason University. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 497 engineering students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Engineering degree recipients from George Mason University receive an earnings boost of around $7,058 above the typical income of engineering majors.

More information about a degree in engineering from George Mason University

4
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$71,176 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat James Madison University if you wish to pursue a degree in engineering. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 67 engineering students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, engineering degree recipients typically make about $71,176 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in engineering from James Madison University

5
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
225 Engineering Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public college located in the large suburb of Annandale. This college ranks 9th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 225 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Northern Virginia Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, engineering degree recipients generally make around $16,790 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in engineering from Northern Virginia Community College

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
15th Most Popular In VA
7.4% Growth in Graduates

Virginia Western Community College is a moderately-sized public college located in the small city of Roanoke. This college ranks 45th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 27 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Western Community College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in engineering from Virginia Western Community College

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
319 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$73,138 Median Starting Salary

VCU is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #189 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 319 engineering students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the engineering program state that they receive average early career income of $73,138.

More information about a degree in engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$68,555 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 32nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 81 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Tidewater Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the engineering program state that they receive average early career wages of $68,555.

More information about a degree in engineering from Tidewater Community College

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
482 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$78,447 Median Starting Salary

Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk. This university ranks 16th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 482 engineering students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the engineering program earn around $78,447 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in engineering from Old Dominion University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Engineering Degrees Awarded
$56,596 Median Starting Salary

VMI is a small public school located in the town of Lexington. This school ranks 23rd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 104 engineering students who graduated with this degree at VMI in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the engineering program report average early career earnings of $56,596.

More information about a degree in engineering from Virginia Military Institute

Best Engineering Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Engineering Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 5,076
West Virginia 38 990
Mississippi 38 1,512
South Carolina 38 2,300
Florida 38 8,909
Arkansas 38 1,082
Alabama 37 3,827
Kentucky 37 1,332
Georgia 37 5,286
Tennessee 37 2,276
Louisiana 37 1,801

View All Rankings >

Engineering Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Mechanical Engineering 828
General Engineering 720
Civil Engineering 641
Electrical Engineering 502
Computer Engineering 477
Biomedical Engineering 338
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 314
Industrial Engineering 245
Systems Engineering 221
Chemical Engineering 193

View All Engineering Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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