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Best colleges in Virginia, ranked by ROI

We rank all 81 Virginia institutions we profile by payback years — total net cost divided by earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The state's median net price is $19,066/yr (above the $16,902 national median), and its graduates earn a median $44,666 ten years out (above the $43,549 national median). Washington and Lee University leads, clearing its cost in 2 years. (Scorecard, 2026.)

$19,066
Median net price / yr
Scorecard, 2026
$44,666
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Scorecard, 2026
8 yrs
Median payback
Our math, 2026
81
Colleges ranked
degreedividend.com
Virginia colleges by payback (best first)
#CollegeNet price/yrEarnings 10yPayback
1Washington and Lee University$23,781$94,8102 yrs
2University of Virginia-Main Campus$21,565$86,8632.2 yrs
3Riverside College of Health Sciences$20,744$66,0722.3 yrs
4Virginia Military Institute$17,113$77,3692.4 yrs
5George Mason University$17,915$76,3432.6 yrs
6Chamberlain University-Virginia$33,199$92,4053 yrs
7Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$24,953$81,6983 yrs
8William & Mary$19,096$73,4903 yrs
9Galen Health Institutes-Richmond$23,843$61,4803.6 yrs
10Northern Virginia Community College$9,919$53,5573.8 yrs
11Galen Health Institutes-Roanoke$26,945$61,4804.1 yrs
12James Madison University$23,322$69,9544.3 yrs
13University of Richmond$31,309$76,1784.5 yrs
14Hampden-Sydney College$22,400$67,6404.6 yrs
15Marymount University$29,137$67,5166.1 yrs
16University of Mary Washington$20,667$60,6136.7 yrs
17Christopher Newport University$23,015$60,5097.6 yrs
18Old Dominion University$14,638$54,9148.9 yrs
19Hampton University$25,319$59,1599.4 yrs
20Virginia Commonwealth University$23,433$58,1289.6 yrs
21Roanoke College$24,503$58,04710.1 yrs
22Radford University$14,578$53,73910.8 yrs
23Randolph-Macon College$27,866$58,44811 yrs
24University of Lynchburg$22,235$56,38011.1 yrs
25Shenandoah University$30,298$58,43312 yrs
26Randolph College$15,921$53,40912.6 yrs
27Bridgewater College$17,800$53,45314 yrs
28Eastern Mennonite University$24,588$54,86915.1 yrs
29Longwood University$19,066$52,34719.1 yrs
30Sweet Briar College$17,758$51,94319.8 yrs
31Averett University$22,925$51,51629.1 yrs
32Virginia Wesleyan University$19,676$50,07445.9 yrs
33Southern Virginia University$22,213$50,00254.1 yrs
34Bluefield University$25,573$48,896190.8 yrs
35Emory & Henry University$19,061$47,385no payback
36University of Virginia's College at Wise$9,210$45,325no payback
37Advanced Technology Institute$16,358$46,342no payback
38Virginia State University$15,840$45,543no payback
39Mary Baldwin University$12,756$44,427no payback
40Norfolk State University$15,282$44,666no payback
41Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas$27,320$46,441no payback
42ECPI University$22,965$42,837no payback
43Regent University$19,923$44,498no payback
44Ferrum College$20,082$44,296no payback
45Piedmont Virginia Community College$5,963$40,752no payback
46Richard Bland College$13,045$41,452no payback
47Brightpoint Community College$5,490$41,223no payback
48Blue Ridge Community College$13,997$42,644no payback
49Laurel Ridge Community College$6,013$41,000no payback
50Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk$23,046$44,173no payback
51Germanna Community College$5,541$39,644no payback
52Liberty University$29,357$44,813no payback
53New River Community College$6,279$40,025no payback
54J Sargeant Reynolds Community College$5,168$39,529no payback
55Virginia Western Community College$4,966$38,787no payback
56Virginia Peninsula Community College$7,012$37,996no payback
57Tidewater Community College$11,762$38,349no payback
58Strayer University-Virginia$19,578$40,092no payback
59Hollins University$20,896$40,075no payback
60Virginia Union University$13,235$38,275no payback
61Paul D Camp Community College$4,126$36,031no payback
62Rappahannock Community College$4,343$36,121no payback
63Central Virginia Community College$6,928$36,627no payback
64Wytheville Community College$4,622$34,303no payback
65Mountain Gateway Community College$4,861$34,293no payback
66Southwest Virginia Community College$6,005$34,221no payback
67Patrick & Henry Community College$4,102$33,323no payback
68Eastern Shore Community College$2,495$32,418no payback
69Virginia Highlands Community College$5,375$32,681no payback
70Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach$12,038$32,568no payback
71Southside Virginia Community College$5,338$32,371no payback
72Mountain Empire Community College$8,852$32,622no payback
73Danville Community College$6,669$31,664no payback
74South University-Virginia Beach$27,843$34,421no payback
75South University-Richmond$30,442$34,421no payback
76Fortis College-Richmond$24,635$32,754no payback
77Fortis College-Norfolk$24,764$32,754no payback
78Arizona College of Nursing-Falls Church$38,690$34,657no payback
79Tidewater Tech-Trades$26,366$31,657no payback
80American National University$18,036$26,370no payback
81Centura College-Newport News$24,842$25,930no payback

College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · ranking and payback are our math. Payback uses institution-wide earnings; a specific major can rank very differently.

Colleges in Virginia: frequently asked questions

Which college has the best ROI in Virginia?
Washington and Lee University. It charges $23,781/yr after aid and its graduates earn a median $94,810 ten years out, clearing the cost in about 2 years — the fastest payback of the 81 Virginia colleges we track.
How much does college cost in Virginia?
The median net price across Virginia colleges is $19,066/yr after grants and scholarships — above the $16,902 national median. That is the actual price the typical aided student pays, not the published sticker.
What do Virginia college graduates earn?
A median $44,666 ten years after entry (Scorecard), above the $43,549 national median. Earnings vary widely by school and major — see each college's profile for its own figure.
How many Virginia colleges pay for themselves?
34 of the 81 Virginia colleges we track clear their cost on institution-wide earnings above the high-school baseline. The rest need a high-ROI major to pay off — the school average alone does not.