2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in Virginia
Choosing which college to attend may be one of the most important decisions in your life. College Factual has developed its Best Virginia Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking as one tool you can use to help make this decision.
We analyzed 41 colleges and universities to determine which were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in Virginia. This ranking doesn't just identify the colleges with the lowest costs. Rather, it highlights those institutions that offer excellent educational experiences for a lower cost than other schools of roughly the same caliber. Thus, one college may rank better than another, but the second school could have a lower average cost.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Our average cost calculation adds up all expenses, such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other expenses. So it is an approximation of how much you will have to pay out-of-pocket each year on average.
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Customizing Your List
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as overall quality or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in Virginia
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2021 rankings named Virginia Tech the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in Virginia for students working on their bachelor’s degree. This large public school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 7,156 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Virginia Tech about 4.3 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $27,283 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech is about $116,498. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. Virginia Tech not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #5 on our Best Colleges in Virginia list.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Virginia - Main Campus helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Virginia. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the large public school awarded 5,167 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at University of Virginia to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $34,231. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from University of Virginia be around $138,978. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. University of Virginia not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #2 on our Best Colleges in Virginia list.
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A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia list means James Madison University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. This large public school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 4,665 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at JMU is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $28,182 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from JMU is $121,464. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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%. On top of its placing in our value rankings, JMU also did well on our Best Colleges in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Virginia Military Institute helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Virginia. VMI is located in Lexington, Virginia and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 363 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at VMI to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $32,034 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the VMI is $135,183. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. VMI also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at George Mason University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Virginia. GMU is located in Fairfax, Virginia and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 5,866 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At GMU, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $29,166. This means that the average student pays around $128,039 to get a bachelor’s degree from GMU. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. In addition to its great value ranking, GMU is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Virginia list.
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With a ranking of #6, College of William and Mary did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 2,072 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At William & Mary, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $38,889 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from William & Mary is $158,278. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. William & Mary also took the #4 spot in our Best Colleges in Virginia rankings.
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With a ranking of #7, Christopher Newport University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia list. CNU is a small public school situated in Newport News, Virginia. It awarded 1,172 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at CNU is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $31,738 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from CNU is $131,713. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. CNU also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in Virginia list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia list. Located in Richmond, Virginia, the large public school awarded 5,372 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at VCU to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $32,722 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from VCU is $143,977. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Radford University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia ranking. Radford is located in Radford, Virginia and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,910 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average student at Radford graduates in less than 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $24,445 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Radford is $106,336. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Longwood University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia list. This small public school is located in Farmville, Virginia, and it awarded 996 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Longwood graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $29,364 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Longwood is $124,797. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #11, University of Mary Washington did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia list. Located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the small public school awarded 1,087 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at UMW about 4.1 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $29,490. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UMW is $121,499. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
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Jefferson College of Health Sciences landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Virginia ranking. Jefferson College of Health Sciences is a small public school situated in Roanoke, Virginia. It awarded 255 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Jefferson College of Health Sciences, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,445 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Jefferson College of Health Sciences is $102,913. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Old Dominion University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Virginia ranking, coming in at #13. Old Dominion is a large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 3,987 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at Old Dominion to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,070 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Old Dominion is $123,981. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Sweet Briar College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia ranking. Sweet Briar College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Sweet Briar, Virginia that handed out 29 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Sweet Briar is 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $39,370 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Sweet Briar is $160,236. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
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Regent University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 705 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Regent graduates in less than 4.4 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $30,143 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Regent be around $132,328. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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The University of Virginia’s College at Wise did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Virginia ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Wise, Virginia, the small public school handed out 266 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at UVa - Wise graduates in less than 4.6 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $25,276 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UVa - Wise is $116,270. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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University of Richmond came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia ranking. U of Richmond is a small private not-for-profit school situated in University of Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 1,005 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at U of Richmond to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $69,750. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from U of Richmond is about $283,882. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, U of Richmond is ranked #3 for overall quality in Virginia.
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Washington and Lee University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia list. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 564 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Washington and Lee is 4.0 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $73,900 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $298,556 to get a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Washington and Lee did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Colleges in Virginia list.
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Virginia State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Virginia ranking, coming in at #19. Virginia State is a public institution located in Petersburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 672 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Virginia State graduates in less than 4.6 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $23,673. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Virginia State is about $108,896. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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With a ranking of #20, Randolph - Macon College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia list. Randolph - Macon is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Virginia. It awarded 386 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Randolph - Macon graduates in less than 4.1 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $57,470 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Randolph - Macon is $233,903. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
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Shenandoah University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Virginia ranking, coming in at #21. Shenandoah is located in Winchester, Virginia and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 570 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Shenandoah to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $47,850. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Shenandoah is about $203,362. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Virginia University of Lynchburg ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia list. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 16 students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Virginia University of Lynchburg is 4.0 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $25,329 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Virginia University of Lynchburg be around $101,316. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Southern Virginia University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Virginia ranking, coming in at #23. SVU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Buena Vista, Virginia. It awarded 168 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at SVU to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $30,198 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from SVU be around $134,985. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Roanoke College landed the #24 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Virginia ranking. Roanoke College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Salem, Virginia that handed out 474 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Roanoke graduates in less than 4.1 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $62,818. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Roanoke is $257,554. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Eastern Mennonite University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Virginia ranking. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 350 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At Eastern Mennonite, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $52,900 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Mennonite is about $219,006. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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