by our College Data Analytics TeamWith all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take when you want to pursue a degree. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking is part of that endeavor. This list is proof that you shouldn't avoid normally high-priced schools, since the actual price may be very affordable if you qualify for financial aid.
In This Year's Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 61 schools in Virginia to determine which ones have the best value programs. Our ranking methodology focuses on different objective factors to make this determination of the best value schools. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
The first step of determing the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking is to look at the school's average net price for students with families that make $48-$75k a year. The net price is the sum of tuition, fees, and room and board minus any financial aid awarded to the student. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2024 rankings named Washington and Lee University the best value (income $48-$75k) school in Virginia. Washington and Lee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lexington, Virginia.
Not only is Washington and Lee University a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Virginia for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,132.
The quality degree programs at University of Virginia - Main Campus helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia.
University of Virginia - Main Campus has the honor of being ranked #1 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,589.
Learn More About Value at University of Virginia - Main Campus
Out of the 61 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
William & Mary has the honor of being ranked #5 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,665.
Out of the 61 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Southside Virginia Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Southside Virginia Community College is a small public school situated in Alberta, Virginia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Southside Virginia Community College is ranked #27 for quality in the state of Virginia. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,886.
Learn More About Value at Southside Virginia Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Military Institute. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. VMI is a public institution located in Lexington, Virginia.
Not only is Virginia Military Institute a great value, but it is also ranked #11 in Virginia for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,826.
With a ranking of #6, Northern Virginia Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. Annandale, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Northern Virginia Community College has the honor of being ranked #10 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $10,810.
Read full value report on Northern Virginia Community College
Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking, coming in at #7. Virginia Tech is a large public school located in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Virginia Tech has the honor of being ranked #2 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $18,113.
Wytheville Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking, coming in at #8. This small public school is located in Wytheville, Virginia.
Wytheville Community College has the honor of being ranked #52 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $2,692.
University of Richmond ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. University of Richmond is a small private not-for-profit school located in University of Richmond, Virginia.
University of Richmond has the honor of being ranked #7 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,389.
Germanna Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized public school is located in Locust Grove, Virginia.
Not only is Germanna Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #28 in Virginia for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,222.
John Tyler Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking. John Tyler Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Chester, Virginia.
Not only is John Tyler Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #29 in Virginia for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,384.
Patrick Henry Community College landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking. Patrick Henry Community College is a small public school located in Martinsville, Virginia.
Not only is Patrick Henry Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #33 in Virginia for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,626.
With a ranking of #13, Reynolds Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. Located in Richmond, Virginia, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Reynolds Community College is ranked #35 for quality in the state of Virginia. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,453.
George Mason University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. This large public school is located in Fairfax, Virginia.
George Mason University has the honor of being ranked #4 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $17,359.
With a ranking of #15, Lord Fairfax Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. Lord Fairfax Community College is located in Middletown, Virginia and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Lord Fairfax Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #43 in Virginia for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,313.
Rappahannock Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. Located in Glenns, Virginia, the school is a small public institution.
Rappahannock Community College has the honor of being ranked #34 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,233.
Central Virginia Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking. Central Virginia Community College is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Central Virginia Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #49 in Virginia for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,393.
Learn More About Value at Central Virginia Community College
Virginia Western Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking. Roanoke, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Virginia Western Community College has the honor of being ranked #47 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,929.
Tidewater Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, the school is a fairly large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Tidewater Community College is ranked #32 for quality in the state of Virginia. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $8,846.
Paul D Camp Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking. Paul D Camp Community College is located in Franklin, Virginia and has a small student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Paul D Camp Community College is ranked #57 for quality in the state of Virginia. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,901.
Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking, coming in at #21. VCU is located in Richmond, Virginia and has a large student population. It is a public school.
Virginia Commonwealth University has the honor of being ranked #8 in Virginia for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $16,689.
Thomas Nelson Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Hampton, Virginia.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Thomas Nelson Community College is ranked #50 for quality in the state of Virginia. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,177.
Danville Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. Danville Community College is located in Danville, Virginia and has a small student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Danville Community College is ranked #38 for quality in the state of Virginia. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,950.
With a ranking of #24, James Madison University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. James Madison University is a large public school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Not only is James Madison University a great value, but it is also ranked #6 in Virginia for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $18,572.
Piedmont Virginia Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Virginia list. PVCC is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Piedmont Virginia Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #44 in Virginia for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $8,649.
Learn More About Value at Piedmont Virginia Community College
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.