2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia
When pursuing a degree in today's world, veterans have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Our analysis looked at 52 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for veterans and active service men and women. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including the school's overall quality, the number of GI Bill® recipients at the school, and the percentage of costs covered by the GI Bill®. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Top Colleges for Veterans in Virginia
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
George Mason University tops this year’s ranking as the best school for veterans in Virginia. GMU is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9,666 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 38,541 students enrolled at GMU, 2,265 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,599 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,143. On top of their other funding sources, 44 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. In addition to its great veterans ranking, GMU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Schools in Virginia list.
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia list means James Madison University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,705 students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, JMU supports 21,594 students, and 800 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 637 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,908. On top of their other funding sources, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. JMU also took the #5 spot in our Best Schools in Virginia rankings.
A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia list means Radford University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Radford, Virginia, the fairly large public school awarded 2,445 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Among the 10,695 students enrolled at Radford, 461 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 264 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,594. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Old Dominion University. The school came in at #4 in Virginia on this year’s best for vets ranking. This large public school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 5,205 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 24,286 students enrolled at Old Dominion, 3,222 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2,499 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,095. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #5 in Virginia on this year’s best for vets ranking. Located in Richmond, Virginia, the large public school awarded 7,264 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 29,070 students enrolled at VCU, 1,464 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 977 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,871. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. VCU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Schools in Virginia list.
Marymount University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking, coming in at #6. Arlington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,015 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 3,294 students enrolled at Marymount, 177 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 142 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,991. During this same period, 41 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Regent University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking, coming in at #7. Virginia Beach, Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,255 students in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 1,391 of the 10,483 students enrolled at Regent were GI Bill® students, of which 1,199 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,085. On top of their other funding sources, 18 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Virginia Tech came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9,350 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Our most recent data shows that 1,159 of the 37,024 students enrolled at Virginia Tech were GI Bill® students, of which 809 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,824. On top of their other funding sources, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 veterans ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Schools in Virginia list.
William & Mary came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2,980 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Of the 8,939 students enrolled at William & Mary, 469 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 379 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,209. To help with additional expenses, 5 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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%. William & Mary did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Schools in Virginia list.
With a ranking of #10, University of Mary Washington did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia list. This small public school is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 1,277 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 4,293 students enrolled at UMW, 334 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 265 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,645. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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%. On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, UMW also did well on our Best Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Liberty University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking, coming in at #11. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 20,330 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Liberty University supports 93,349 students, and 11,581 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 9,188 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,789. In addition to receiving other benefits, 369 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the large public school awarded 8,198 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, University of Virginia supports 25,628 students, and 654 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 552 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,377.
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%. University of Virginia also made our Best Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #1.
Longwood University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking. Longwood is located in Farmville, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,006 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Among the 4,841 students enrolled at Longwood, 218 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 149 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,426. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Christopher Newport University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia list. Newport News, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,248 students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, CNU supports 4,868 students, and 329 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 280 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,270. CNU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its great veterans ranking, CNU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Schools in Virginia list.
ECPI University landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the fairly large private for-profit school handed out 3,214 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, ECPI University supports 14,353 students, and 2,222 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,997 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,854. During this same period, 293 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Norfolk State University landed the #16 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking. Norfolk State is a public institution located in Norfolk, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 867 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Norfolk State supports 5,457 students, and 506 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 280 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,371. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Shenandoah University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking, coming in at #17. Shenandoah is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Winchester, Virginia. It awarded 1,016 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 4,174 students enrolled at Shenandoah, 218 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 133 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,445. In addition to receiving other benefits, 38 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Shenandoah does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. In addition to its great veterans ranking, Shenandoah is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Schools in Virginia list.
Virginia Military Institute landed the #18 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking. Located in Lexington, Virginia, the small public school handed out 383 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 150 of the 1,698 students enrolled at VMI were GI Bill® students, of which 104 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,319. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. On top of its placing in our veterans ranking, VMI also did well on our Best Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Hampton University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Hampton, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 959 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 263 of the 3,516 students enrolled at Hampton were GI Bill® students, of which 146 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,386. During this same period, 40 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a ranking of #20, Chamberlain University - Virginia did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia list. This small private for-profit school is located in Arlington, Virginia, and it awarded 158 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 69 of the 622 students enrolled at Chamberlain - Virginia were GI Bill® students, of which 58 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,525. During this same period, 13 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Northern Virginia Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking. Located in Annandale, Virginia, the large public school awarded 5,170 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 52,873 students enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College, 2,178 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,878 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,170. Northern Virginia Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Northern Virginia Community College also is in the top 10% of our Best Schools in Virginia ranking.
Tidewater Community College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking, coming in at #22. Norfolk, Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,391 students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Tidewater Community College supports 16,769 students, and 3,220 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2,858 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,275. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Emory and Henry College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking. Located in Emory, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 373 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 1,230 students enrolled at Emory & Henry College, 24 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 15 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,529. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Bluefield College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking. Located in Bluefield, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 308 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 35 of the 965 students enrolled at Bluefield College were GI Bill® students, of which 27 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,812. On top of their other funding sources, 9 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Virginia Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Virginia ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 310 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 1,347 students enrolled at VWU, 173 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,230. To help with additional expenses, 27 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Best Colleges for Veterans in the Southeast Region
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Best Colleges in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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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