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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia

14 Ranked Colleges
2,389 Degrees Awarded
$17,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's 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 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 14,701 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,389 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools

The liberal arts / sciences & humanities 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 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia

#1

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Richmond landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Richmond is located in University of Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

URichmond did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $9,112 for virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend URichmond.

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. 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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Richmond

#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 290 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $14,196 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend JMU.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at JMU

#3

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. GMU is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 377 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $16,204 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GMU.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full George Mason University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#4

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mary Washington landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, this small public school awarded 129 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMW has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMW is $12,988 for virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Mary Washington Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#4

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Longwood University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. Longwood University is located in Farmville, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Longwood not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Longwood is $14,704 for virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Longwood

#6

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

Bridgewater College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bridgewater, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater also took the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater College is $14,220 for virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Bridgewater

#7

Ferrum College

Ferrum, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Ferrum College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ferrum, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Ferrum College also took the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ferrum College is $19,806 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ferrum College

#8

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Virginia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Petersburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Virginia State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia State University is $15,586 for virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Virginia State

#9

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

Eastern Mennonite University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Eastern Mennonite also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $22,935 for virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Mennonite University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Eastern Mennonite

#10

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

Mary Baldwin University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mary Baldwin University is a small school located in Staunton, Virginia that handed out 36 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Mary Baldwin also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Mary Baldwin University is $15,218 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Mary Baldwin University

#11

Southern Virginia University

Buena Vista, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Southern Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Buena Vista, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

SVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend SVU is $16,192 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Virginia University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#12

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

Marymount University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Arlington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $22,212 for virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marymount University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Marymount University

#13

Averett University

Danville, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Averett University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Averett University is located in Danville, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, AU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend AU is $21,385 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Averett University

#14

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

Liberty University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Liberty University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Liberty University, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $27,896 for virginia bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Liberty University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

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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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