2026 Best Value Religious Studies Schools in Virginia
[Religious Studies](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/religious-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 24 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for religious studies students.
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2026 Best Value Religious Studies Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the religious studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Religious Studies Schools
For return on investment in religious studies, no school beat University Of Virginia Main Campus this year. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. In-state tuition and fees average $23,118, compared with $61,591 for out-of-state students. Religious Studies graduates carry a median of $18,267 in student loans. Early-career religious studies graduates make about $25,260. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 17% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in religious studies will find it at Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, which ranked #2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,948, while out-of-state students pay about $37,764. Typical student debt for religious studies graduates is $23,393. Soon after graduation, religious studies degree recipients from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University generally make around $60,004. Set against $23,393 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University admits about 55% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Liberty University one of the best values for religious studies. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,173. Typical student debt for religious studies graduates is $32,873. Soon after graduation, religious studies degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $37,753. Set against $32,873 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 24 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
