Ranking

Best Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Colleges in Virginia 2026

31 Virginia colleges offering Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, ranked by EduGradify value grade.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $4,102
Top earnings 10y: $86,863
Public / Private: 16 / 9

Paul D Camp Community College

A+

Franklin, VA · Public

ROI score: 21.83
Net price: $4,126
Earnings 10y: $36,031
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Patrick & Henry Community College

A+

Martinsville, VA · Public

ROI score: 20.31
Net price: $4,102
Earnings 10y: $33,323
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Germanna Community College

A+

Locust Grove, VA · Public

ROI score: 17.89
Net price: $5,541
Earnings 10y: $39,644
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Piedmont Virginia Community College

A+

Charlottesville, VA · Public

ROI score: 17.09
Net price: $5,963
Earnings 10y: $40,752
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Virginia Peninsula Community College

Hampton, VA · Public

ROI score: 13.55
Net price: $7,012
Earnings 10y: $37,996
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Northern Virginia Community College

Annandale, VA · Public

ROI score: 13.50
Net price: $9,919
Earnings 10y: $53,557
Acceptance: Open / not reported

University of Virginia's College at Wise

Wise, VA · Public

ROI score: 12.30
Net price: $9,210
Earnings 10y: $45,325
Acceptance: 28.5%

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA · Public

ROI score: 10.65
Net price: $17,915
Earnings 10y: $76,343
Acceptance: 87.5%

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA · Public

ROI score: 10.07
Net price: $21,565
Earnings 10y: $86,863
Acceptance: 16.8%

#10

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA · Public

ROI score: 9.38
Net price: $14,638
Earnings 10y: $54,914
Acceptance: 90.4%

#11

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, VA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 8.71
Net price: $12,756
Earnings 10y: $44,427
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#12

Tidewater Community College

Norfolk, VA · Public

ROI score: 8.15
Net price: $11,762
Earnings 10y: $38,349
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#13

Richard Bland College

South Prince George, VA · Public

ROI score: 7.94
Net price: $13,045
Earnings 10y: $41,452
Acceptance: 89.3%

#14

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, VA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 7.51
Net price: $17,800
Earnings 10y: $53,453
Acceptance: 91.7%

#15

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA · Public

ROI score: 7.50
Net price: $23,322
Earnings 10y: $69,954
Acceptance: 71.5%

#16

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA · Public

ROI score: 7.33
Net price: $20,667
Earnings 10y: $60,613
Acceptance: 79.8%

#17

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA · Public

ROI score: 7.19
Net price: $15,840
Earnings 10y: $45,543
Acceptance: 88.6%

#18

Longwood University

Farmville, VA · Public

ROI score: 6.86
Net price: $19,066
Earnings 10y: $52,347
Acceptance: 90.2%

#19

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, VA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.36
Net price: $19,676
Earnings 10y: $50,074
Acceptance: 72.9%

#20

Emory & Henry University

Emory, VA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.21
Net price: $19,061
Earnings 10y: $47,385
Acceptance: 83.7%

#21

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 6.08
Net price: $31,309
Earnings 10y: $76,178
Acceptance: 22.2%

#22

Hampton University

Hampton, VA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.84
Net price: $25,319
Earnings 10y: $59,159
Acceptance: 62.3%

#23

Marymount University

Arlington, VA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.79
Net price: $29,137
Earnings 10y: $67,516
Acceptance: 93.2%

#24

Southern Virginia University

Buena Vista, VA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.63
Net price: $22,213
Earnings 10y: $50,002
Acceptance: 96.4%

#25

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA · Private Non-Profit

ROI score: 5.58
Net price: $19,923
Earnings 10y: $44,498
Acceptance: 38.1%

How we picked this list

This list starts with Virginia schools with positive Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 9.97 (16 public, 9 private).

Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

Paul D Camp Community College in Franklin, VA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many Virginia colleges are in this list?

31 Virginia colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.