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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in Virginia (With Aid)

20 Ranked Colleges
1,278 Degrees Awarded
$22,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 48,831 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 1,392 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $47,150 and $23,646 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,278 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in economics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great economics 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 economics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics in Virginia (With Aid)

#1

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 511 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $20,397 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at University of Virginia

#2

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

William & Mary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,800 for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at William & Mary

#3

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. James Madison University is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $22,169 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid 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 more about Economics at James Madison University

#4

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Military Institute. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

VMI also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend VMI is $17,804 for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Military Institute Economics Report

#5

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 132 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for George Mason University is $21,048 for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read full report on Economics at George Mason University

#6

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Virginia Tech Economics Report

#7

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

Washington and Lee University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, Washington and Lee has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee University is $22,615 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Washington and Lee

#8

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Emory and Henry College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Emory and Henry College is a small school located in Emory, Virginia that handed out 5 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory & Henry College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Emory and Henry College is $18,593 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

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 Economics at Emory & Henry College

#9

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Radford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $16,447 for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend Radford.

Read full report on Economics at Radford University

#10

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Richmond is located in University of Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

URichmond also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $25,838 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Richmond.

With a 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at University of Richmond

#11

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia
#18 in overall quality

Old Dominion University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Old Dominion is a large school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 1 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Old Dominion, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $16,493 for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend Old Dominion.

Read full report on Economics at Old Dominion University

#12

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

Bridgewater College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bridgewater College is located in Bridgewater, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Bridgewater also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater is $17,929 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

Read more about Economics at Bridgewater

#13

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Longwood University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Farmville, Virginia, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Longwood also took the #17 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $19,462 for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend Longwood.

Read full report on Economics at Longwood University

#14

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. UMW is a public institution located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid list, UMW has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary Washington is $21,907 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 UMW Economics Report

#15

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. CNU is a public institution located in Newport News, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CNU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $25,596 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid per year to attend CNU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 Economics Report

#16

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia
#15 in overall quality

Marymount University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arlington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Marymount also made our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Marymount University is $26,078 for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Marymount University

#17

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Ashland, Virginia, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Randolph - Macon College is $26,370 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at Randolph - Macon College

#18

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

Roanoke College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Roanoke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salem, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Roanoke also took the #10 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roanoke College is $25,135 for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Roanoke Economics Report

#19

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#20 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lynchburg is a small school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 11 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Lynchburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $23,207 for virginia bachelor’s degree economics students with aid per year to attend University of Lynchburg.

The impressive 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 University of Lynchburg Economics Report

#20

Hampden - Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Hampden - Sydney College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Hampden - Sydney also took the #14 spot in our “Best Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hampden - Sydney is $31,227 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Economics students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hampden - Sydney Economics Report

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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