Best Public Colleges in Virginia 2023

Best Public Colleges in Virginia 2023

By James Barham

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

Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in Virginia provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.

10 Best Public Colleges in Virginia

University of Virginia

72%

George Mason University

59%

59%

57%

Virginia Commonwealth University

50%

Virginia Military Institute

45%

Old Dominion University

42%

James Madison University

37%

Virginia State University

36%

Radford University

35%

Old Dominion University

96%

Virginia State University

96%

Radford University

95%

Virginia Commonwealth University

93%

George Mason University

91%

Longwood University

90%

Norfolk State University

89%

Christopher Newport University

89%

James Madison University

86%

University of Virginia's College at Wise

83%

Virginia Commonwealth University

18 to 1

Old Dominion University

18 to 1

George Mason University

17 to 1

James Madison University

17 to 1

Norfolk State University

16 to 1

University of Virginia

15 to 1

Longwood University

15 to 1

14 to 1

Radford University

14 to 1

Christopher Newport University

14 to 1

$17,434

University of Virginia

$16,547

Virginia Commonwealth University

$12,094

$11,750

Virginia Military Institute

$9,782

George Mason University

$9,510

Christopher Newport University

$9,100

University of Mary Washington

$8,678

Longwood University

$8,180

Radford University

$7,922

University of Virginia

$17,674

$14,098

George Mason University

$13,035

Virginia Commonwealth University

$12,618

James Madison University

$11,184

$10,516

Old Dominion University

$10,207

Radford University

$8,915

Norfolk State University

$8,820

University of Mary Washington

$8,676

University of Virginia's College at Wise

20%

Longwood University

27%

Norfolk State University

30%

Christopher Newport University

32%

University of Mary Washington

33%

Radford University

35%

Virginia State University

36%

James Madison University

37%

Old Dominion University

42%

Virginia Military Institute

45%

University of Virginia

21%

37%

56%

Virginia Military Institute

64%

University of Mary Washington

82%

University of Virginia's College at Wise

83%

James Madison University

86%

Christopher Newport University

89%

Norfolk State University

89%

Longwood University

90%

Virginia Military Institute

11 to 1

University of Virginia's College at Wise

11 to 1

11 to 1

Virginia State University

12 to 1

University of Mary Washington

13 to 1

14 to 1

Radford University

14 to 1

Christopher Newport University

14 to 1

University of Virginia

15 to 1

Longwood University

15 to 1

Virginia State University

$5,540

Norfolk State University

$5,752

University of Virginia's College at Wise

$5,864

Old Dominion University

$7,029

James Madison University

$7,460

Radford University

$7,922

Longwood University

$8,180

University of Mary Washington

$8,678

Christopher Newport University

$9,100

George Mason University

$9,510

Longwood University

$6,480

Christopher Newport University

$7,614

Virginia State University

$8,375

University of Mary Washington

$8,676

Norfolk State University

$8,820

Radford University

$8,915

Old Dominion University

$10,207

$10,516

James Madison University

$11,184

Virginia Commonwealth University

$12,618

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.

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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 Public Colleges Badge — Download Badge

This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 15 public universities in Virginia. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in Virginia, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.

How do we determine Virginia's best public 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.

Best Public Colleges in Virginia 2022

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Virginia’s Best Public College in Your Area of 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 public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.