Best colleges for business in Virginia

    William & Mary ranks first in Virginia for business value (#18 nationally, value score 86.6): graduates earn $111,366 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $18,880 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 28 Virginia colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best business colleges in Virginia

    William & Mary ranks first in Virginia for business value (#18 nationally, value score 86.6): graduates earn $111,366 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $18,880 a year. 28 Virginia colleges qualify. At the median one, business graduates earn $70,427 and the average net price is $23,867 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 28 Virginia colleges qualify. At the median one, business graduates earn $70,427 and the average net price is $23,867 a year.
    • The highest business earnings in the state are at Washington and Lee University ($121,699), ranked #3 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at Old Dominion University: $12,913 a year.
    Median earnings
    $70,427
    National: $64,860
    Median net price
    $23,867
    National: $19,132
    Median federal debt
    $23,251
    business graduates
    Public colleges
    11 of 28
    in this list

    28 colleges

    The Virginia ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Virginia 1

      William & Mary

      Williamsburg, VA · Public · #18 nationally

      86.6Value
      Earnings
      $111,366
      Net price
      $18,880
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      88%
    2. Rank in Virginia 2

      George Mason University

      Fairfax, VA · Public · #32 nationally

      83.0Value
      Earnings
      $85,224
      Net price
      $14,697
      Federal debt
      $19,875
      Graduation rate
      66%
    3. Rank in Virginia 3

      Washington and Lee University

      Lexington, VA · Private nonprofit · #49 nationally

      79.7Value
      Earnings
      $121,699
      Net price
      $25,279
      Federal debt
      $21,500
      Graduation rate
      96%
    4. Rank in Virginia 4

      James Madison University

      Harrisonburg, VA · Public · #63 nationally

      77.8Value
      Earnings
      $85,137
      Net price
      $23,550
      Federal debt
      $15,250
      Graduation rate
      80%
    5. Rank in Virginia 5

      Christopher Newport University

      Newport News, VA · Public · #90 nationally

      74.5Value
      Earnings
      $81,840
      Net price
      $22,310
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      75%
    6. Rank in Virginia 6

      University of Richmond

      University of Richmond, VA · Private nonprofit · #116 nationally

      72.1Value
      Earnings
      $103,856
      Net price
      $34,256
      Federal debt
      $23,809
      Graduation rate
      87%
    7. Rank in Virginia 7

      Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

      Blacksburg, VA · Public · #135 nationally

      70.0Value
      Earnings
      $80,023
      Net price
      $25,808
      Federal debt
      $20,875
      Graduation rate
      86%
    8. Rank in Virginia 8

      Hampton University

      Hampton, VA · Private nonprofit · #154 nationally

      68.4Value
      Earnings
      $82,252
      Net price
      $26,214
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      64%
    9. Rank in Virginia 9

      University of Mary Washington

      Fredericksburg, VA · Public · #234 nationally

      64.4Value
      Earnings
      $72,382
      Net price
      $23,821
      Federal debt
      $16,755
      Graduation rate
      65%
    10. Rank in Virginia 10

      Longwood University

      Farmville, VA · Public · #315 nationally

      59.2Value
      Earnings
      $72,565
      Net price
      $20,773
      Federal debt
      $24,127
      Graduation rate
      62%
    11. Rank in Virginia 11

      Marymount University

      Arlington, VA · Private nonprofit · #321 nationally

      58.9Value
      Earnings
      $80,196
      Net price
      $28,521
      Federal debt
      $23,625
      Graduation rate
      55%
    12. Rank in Virginia 12

      Virginia Commonwealth University

      Richmond, VA · Public · #324 nationally

      58.8Value
      Earnings
      $68,387
      Net price
      $25,037
      Federal debt
      $16,410
      Graduation rate
      65%
    13. Rank in Virginia 13

      Radford University

      Radford, VA · Public · #376 nationally

      56.2Value
      Earnings
      $67,246
      Net price
      $13,701
      Federal debt
      $22,625
      Graduation rate
      48%
    14. Rank in Virginia 14

      Randolph-Macon College-Virginia

      Ashland, VA · Private nonprofit · #453 nationally

      51.8Value
      Earnings
      $71,844
      Net price
      $28,145
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      74%
    15. Rank in Virginia 15

      Emory & Henry College

      Emory, VA · Private nonprofit · #455 nationally

      51.6Value
      Earnings
      $71,531
      Net price
      $24,031
      Federal debt
      $25,250
      Graduation rate
      58%
    16. Rank in Virginia 16

      Liberty University

      Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit · #497 nationally

      49.4Value
      Earnings
      $67,269
      Net price
      $29,235
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      64%
    17. Rank in Virginia 17

      Roanoke College

      Salem, VA · Private nonprofit · #533 nationally

      47.5Value
      Earnings
      $69,323
      Net price
      $25,867
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      64%
    18. Rank in Virginia 18

      Old Dominion University

      Norfolk, VA · Public · #596 nationally

      44.3Value
      Earnings
      $61,442
      Net price
      $12,913
      Federal debt
      $21,981
      Graduation rate
      43%
    19. Rank in Virginia 19

      Averett University

      Danville, VA · Private nonprofit · #612 nationally

      43.3Value
      Earnings
      $72,810
      Net price
      $27,629
      Federal debt
      $27,874
      Graduation rate
      45%
    20. Rank in Virginia 20

      Shenandoah University

      Winchester, VA · Private nonprofit · #613 nationally

      43.3Value
      Earnings
      $66,673
      Net price
      $31,149
      Federal debt
      $23,250
      Graduation rate
      63%
    21. Rank in Virginia 21

      Virginia Wesleyan University

      Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit · #702 nationally

      38.6Value
      Earnings
      $63,159
      Net price
      $20,237
      Federal debt
      $23,251
      Graduation rate
      45%
    22. Rank in Virginia 22

      Bluefield University-Virginia

      Bluefield, VA · Private nonprofit · #753 nationally

      35.5Value
      Earnings
      $63,715
      Net price
      $18,402
      Federal debt
      $25,668
      Graduation rate
      26%
    23. Rank in Virginia 23

      University of Lynchburg

      Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit · #769 nationally

      34.6Value
      Earnings
      $63,736
      Net price
      $27,198
      Federal debt
      $25,988
      Graduation rate
      59%
    24. Rank in Virginia 24

      Bridgewater College

      Bridgewater, VA · Private nonprofit · #789 nationally

      33.6Value
      Earnings
      $61,276
      Net price
      $21,083
      Federal debt
      $26,000
      Graduation rate
      52%
    25. Rank in Virginia 25

      Regent University

      Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit · #790 nationally

      33.6Value
      Earnings
      $59,087
      Net price
      $18,135
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      52%
    26. Rank in Virginia 26

      Mary Baldwin University

      Staunton, VA · Private nonprofit · #826 nationally

      31.2Value
      Earnings
      $58,459
      Net price
      $15,810
      Federal debt
      $25,500
      Graduation rate
      38%
    27. Rank in Virginia 27

      Southern Virginia University

      Buena Vista, VA · Private nonprofit · #856 nationally

      28.8Value
      Earnings
      $56,726
      Net price
      $23,913
      Federal debt
      $17,750
      Graduation rate
      40%
    28. Rank in Virginia 28

      Virginia State University

      Petersburg, VA · Public · #926 nationally

      22.6Value
      Earnings
      $49,764
      Net price
      $14,893
      Federal debt
      $25,500
      Graduation rate
      37%

    Method: the same value score as the national business ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about business colleges in Virginia

    What are the best colleges for business in Virginia?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Virginia colleges for business are William & Mary (value score 86.6), George Mason University (value score 83) and Washington and Lee University (value score 79.7). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Virginia college has the highest earnings for business graduates?

    Washington and Lee University: its business graduates have median earnings of $121,699 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable business college in Virginia on this list?

    Old Dominion University has the lowest average net price of the ranked Virginia colleges, $12,913 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Virginia colleges are ranked for business?

    28 Virginia colleges have a business bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Virginia.