Interested in attending a STEM school in Virginia? Our ranking of top research universities for bachelor’s degrees displays schools that will best prepare you for STEM careers.
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.
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
A research university is a great option for students interested in obtaining STEM degrees. Research universities invest heavily in research, which consequently provides meaningful and extensive opportunities for its students and faculty to participate in research. We’ve identified 11 research universities in Virginia. To be included in our ranking, schools must be a fully accredited universities and must must offer doctoral degrees across the range of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
Tuition + fees
$20K
Acceptance
21%
Graduation
94%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/32
University of Virginia’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
70%
Student body
33K
Median SAT/ACT
1200/27
George Mason University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$14K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
87%
Student body
37K
Median SAT/ACT
1270/28
Virginia Tech’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$24K
Acceptance
37%
Graduation
91%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1395/32
William & Mary’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$15K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
68%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1155/24
Virginia Commonwealth University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
49%
Student body
19K
Median SAT/ACT
1065/21
Old Dominion University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
99%
Graduation
62%
Student body
79K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/25
Liberty University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
57%
Student body
3K
Hampton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
41%
Graduation
62%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1080/25
Regent University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
74%
Graduation
64%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1120/22
Shenandoah University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
87%
Graduation
48%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1030/21
Mary Baldwin University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
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 research universities throughout the U.S. for a look at the top research institutions in every state.