Best Small Colleges in Virginia 2024

Badge for BEST IN VIRGINIA SMALL COLLEGES

Published: May 5, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Small colleges in Virginia are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.

Washington and Lee University
University of Richmond
Virginia Military Institute
Hampton University
Virginia State University
Hampden–Sydney College
Virginia Union University
Hollins University
University of Mary Washington
Sweet Briar College

Southern Virginia University 99%
Eastern Mennonite University 99%
Emory and Henry College 97%
Randolph College 95%
Virginia State University 90%
Bridgewater College 90%
Longwood University 88%
University of Mary Washington 86%
Randolph–Macon College 85%
Christopher Newport University 85%

Virginia Union University 17 to 1
Southern Virginia University 17 to 1
University of Virginia's College at Wise 14 to 1
Hampton University 13 to 1
Christopher Newport University 13 to 1
Longwood University 13 to 1
Marymount University 13 to 1
Bridgewater College 13 to 1
Virginia Wesleyan University 13 to 1
Virginia State University 12 to 1

Washington and Lee University $61,750
University of Richmond $60,330
Hampden–Sydney College $50,740
Randolph–Macon College $46,460
Hollins University $41,210
Eastern Mennonite University $40,990
Bridgewater College $39,800
Ferrum College $38,320
Marymount University $37,600
Virginia Wesleyan University $36,910

Randolph–Macon College $43,800
University of Richmond $26,280
Shenandoah University $22,680
Marymount University $21,420
Bridgewater College $19,230
Hollins University $17,423
Randolph College $17,100
Emory and Henry College $15,504
Eastern Mennonite University $15,000
Hampton University $13,099

Ferrum College
Virginia Wesleyan University
University of Virginia's College at Wise
Bridgewater College
Southern Virginia University
Emory and Henry College
Eastern Mennonite University
Randolph College
Shenandoah University
Hampden–Sydney College

Bridgewater College
Ferrum College
Virginia Wesleyan University
University of Virginia's College at Wise
Southern Virginia University
Stratford University
Shenandoah University
Marymount University
Randolph College
Eastern Mennonite University

Washington and Lee University 17%
University of Richmond 24%
Hampden–Sydney College 40%
Virginia Military Institute 71%
Hollins University 72%
Hampton University 74%
University of Virginia's College at Wise 76%
Sweet Briar College 76%
Shenandoah University 80%
Roanoke College 80%

Washington and Lee University 7 to 1
Randolph College 7 to 1
University of Richmond 8 to 1
Sweet Briar College 8 to 1
Hollins University 8 to 1
Hampden–Sydney College 9 to 1
Virginia Military Institute 10 to 1
Randolph–Macon College 10 to 1
Eastern Mennonite University 10 to 1
Roanoke College 11 to 1

Virginia State University $5,540
University of Virginia's College at Wise $6,040
Longwood University $8,420
University of Mary Washington $8,938
Christopher Newport University $9,375
Virginia Military Institute $9,782
Virginia Union University $14,305
Southern Virginia University $19,108
Sweet Briar College $23,590
Randolph College $27,930

Longwood University $6,678
Christopher Newport University $7,848
Virginia State University $8,375
Ferrum College $8,850
University of Mary Washington $8,928
Virginia Wesleyan University $8,982
Virginia Union University $11,275
Sweet Briar College $11,400
Hampton University $13,099
Eastern Mennonite University $15,000

Table of Contents

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

The following list of the best small colleges and universities in Virginia is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 31 small colleges in Virginia. The list below of the 25 best small colleges in Virginia. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.

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

Methodology

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 Small Colleges in Virginia 2023

Virginia’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 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.

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Best Small Colleges in Virginia 2024

10 Best Small Colleges in Virginia 2024

Colleges and Universities in Virginia

What are Virginia’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Small Colleges in Virginia 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Washington and Lee University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Richmond

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Hampton University

Most Influential Alumni

Hampton University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Virginia Military Institute

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Virginia State University

Most Influential Alumni

Virginia State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Christopher Newport University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Sweet Briar College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Mary Washington

Most Influential Alumni

University of Mary Washington’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Virginia Union University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Roanoke College

Most Influential Alumni

Stratford University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Hollins University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Longwood University

Career Outlook for degree at Marymount University

Most Influential Alumni

Marymount University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Randolph–Macon College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Hampden–Sydney College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Shenandoah University

Most Influential Alumni

Shenandoah University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Randolph College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Eastern Mennonite University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Emory and Henry College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Southern Virginia University

Career Outlook for degree at Bridgewater College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Virginia's College at Wise

University of Virginia's College at Wise’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Virginia Wesleyan University

Most Influential Alumni

Virginia Wesleyan University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Ferrum College

Most Influential Alumni

Virginia’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest