Best Private Colleges in Virginia 2023

Best Private Colleges in Virginia 2023

By James Barham

Published: May 5, 2021
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Virginia.

10 Best Private Colleges in Virginia

Washington and Lee University

50%

University of Richmond

46%

Hampton University

43%

Liberty University

40%

Hampden–Sydney College

37%

Virginia Union University

35%

Regent University

32%

Emory and Henry College

31%

Hollins University

30%

Randolph–Macon College

29%

Southern Virginia University

100%

Liberty University

99%

University of Lynchburg

97%

Eastern Mennonite University

95%

Virginia Union University

94%

Randolph College

94%

Mary Baldwin University

87%

Emory and Henry College

87%

Virginia Wesleyan University

86%

Marymount University

84%

Virginia Union University

21 to 1

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach

20 to 1

Regent University

19 to 1

Liberty University

17 to 1

Southern Virginia University

17 to 1

ECPI University

16 to 1

Hampton University

15 to 1

Marymount University

14 to 1

Virginia University of Lynchburg

14 to 1

Bluefield University

14 to 1

Washington and Lee University

$59,380

University of Richmond

$58,570

Hampden–Sydney College

$49,504

Roanoke College

$48,330

Randolph–Macon College

$45,150

Hollins University

$40,170

Eastern Mennonite University

$39,990

Bridgewater College

$38,460

Averett University

$37,050

Virginia Wesleyan University

$36,910

Emory and Henry College

$33,238

University of Richmond

$25,620

Shenandoah University

$22,080

Marymount University

$20,520

Bridgewater College

$18,544

Hollins University

$17,269

Randolph College

$17,100

Regent University

$15,590

Eastern Mennonite University

$15,000

Stratford University

$13,368

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach

11%

Bluefield University

13%

Averett University

15%

19%

University of Lynchburg

20%

Virginia Wesleyan University

20%

Bridgewater College

20%

Southern Virginia University

21%

Virginia University of Lynchburg

21%

Mary Baldwin University

22%

Washington and Lee University

19%

University of Richmond

29%

Hampden–Sydney College

37%

Regent University

41%

Averett University

48%

Bluefield University

72%

Shenandoah University

74%

Hollins University

75%

Bridgewater College

75%

76%

Washington and Lee University

8 to 1

University of Richmond

8 to 1

Randolph College

8 to 1

Sweet Briar College

8 to 1

Hampden–Sydney College

9 to 1

Hollins University

9 to 1

Stratford University

9 to 1

Shenandoah University

10 to 1

Eastern Mennonite University

10 to 1

Emory and Henry College

10 to 1

Virginia University of Lynchburg

$10,136

Virginia Union University

$13,530

Stratford University

$15,135

ECPI University

$17,479

Southern Virginia University

$17,960

Regent University

$18,820

The Art Institute of Virginia Beach

$19,354

Liberty University

$22,713

Sweet Briar College

$23,080

Randolph College

$26,890

Liberty University

$7,847

Bluefield University

$8,640

Virginia Wesleyan University

$8,982

$10,800

Virginia University of Lynchburg

$11,170

Virginia Union University

$11,275

Sweet Briar College

$11,400

University of Lynchburg

$11,614

Averett University

$11,790

ECPI University

$12,960

Colleges and Universities in Virginia

Liberty University, a private Christian school in Lynchburg, is the largest school in Virginia, serving over 60,000 students. The largest public university, Virginia Tech, has a student population of about half that but offers many in-person degree programs as well as eight master’s programs and 19 certificate programs online. Students who attend Virginia Tech can pursue fields like engineering, criminal justice, education, and business.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

The majority of Virginia’s universities and colleges could be considered small schools, serving populations of less than 5,000 students. Included on this list are public schools, like Christopher Newport University in Newport News, and private schools, like Hampton University, a historically black university in Hampton. Though most of its higher education institutes charge tuition fees above the national average, Virginia offers several loan forgiveness programs for qualifying attorneys and medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmaceutical professionals.

Virginia is perhaps most famous for its rich history - but the state is also home to many unique museums and famous landmarks. For example, those who love the classics can visit the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond. Those who harbor romantic dreams of espionage and intrigue might visit the CIA Museum in McLean. And, if you like your attractions random, you could check out Virginia’s 300-yard-long natural tunnel or its 29-ton spinning granite ball. While you’re here, you might consider attending one of the 78 colleges located in the state.

Learn more about Virginia’s higher education opportunities by checking out the state’s many colleges and universities.

What are Virginia’s Colleges & Universities?

Virginia’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

Virginia's Best Private Colleges and Universities Badge — Download Badge

How do we determine Virginia's best private colleges and universities?

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 28 private universities in Virginia. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Virginia, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.

Best Private Colleges in Virginia

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Virginia’s Best Private Colleges in Your Area Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.