Best colleges for education in Virginia

    Virginia Commonwealth University ranks first in Virginia for education value (#99 nationally, value score 67.6): graduates earn $59,442 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $25,037 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 5 Virginia colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best education colleges in Virginia

    Virginia Commonwealth University ranks first in Virginia for education value (#99 nationally, value score 67.6): graduates earn $59,442 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $25,037 a year. 5 Virginia colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $53,863 and the average net price is $14,893 a year.

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

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 5 Virginia colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $53,863 and the average net price is $14,893 a year.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at Old Dominion University: $12,913 a year.
    Median earnings
    $53,863
    National: $48,822
    Median net price
    $14,893
    National: $17,201
    Median federal debt
    $26,000
    education graduates
    Public colleges
    4 of 5
    in this list

    5 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

      Virginia Commonwealth University

      Richmond, VA · Public · #99 nationally

      67.6Value
      Earnings
      $59,442
      Net price
      $25,037
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      65%
    2. Rank in Virginia 2

      Old Dominion University

      Norfolk, VA · Public · #105 nationally

      66.9Value
      Earnings
      $56,564
      Net price
      $12,913
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      43%
    3. Rank in Virginia 3

      Radford University

      Radford, VA · Public · #152 nationally

      60.8Value
      Earnings
      $53,863
      Net price
      $13,701
      Federal debt
      $26,000
      Graduation rate
      48%
    4. Rank in Virginia 4

      Virginia State University

      Petersburg, VA · Public · #359 nationally

      40.3Value
      Earnings
      $48,362
      Net price
      $14,893
      Federal debt
      $26,000
      Graduation rate
      37%
    5. Rank in Virginia 5

      Liberty University

      Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit · #515 nationally

      15.4Value
      Earnings
      $40,952
      Net price
      $29,235
      Federal debt
      $26,416
      Graduation rate
      64%

    Method: the same value score as the national education 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 education colleges in Virginia

    What are the best colleges for education in Virginia?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Virginia colleges for education are Virginia Commonwealth University (value score 67.6), Old Dominion University (value score 66.9) and Radford University (value score 60.8). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Virginia college has the highest earnings for education graduates?

    Virginia Commonwealth University: its education graduates have median earnings of $59,442 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable education 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 education?

    5 Virginia colleges have a education 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.