Best colleges for nursing in Virginia

    George Mason University ranks first in Virginia for nursing value (#61 nationally, value score 73.1): graduates earn $89,878 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,697 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 14 Virginia colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best nursing colleges in Virginia

    George Mason University ranks first in Virginia for nursing value (#61 nationally, value score 73.1): graduates earn $89,878 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,697 a year. 14 Virginia colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $86,657 and the average net price is $24,276 a year.

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

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 14 Virginia colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $86,657 and the average net price is $24,276 a year.
    • The highest nursing earnings in the state are at Marymount University ($94,503), ranked #5 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
    $86,657
    National: $85,171
    Median net price
    $24,276
    National: $18,014
    Median federal debt
    $20,500
    nursing graduates
    Public colleges
    8 of 14
    in this list

    14 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

      George Mason University

      Fairfax, VA · Public · #61 nationally

      73.1Value
      Earnings
      $89,878
      Net price
      $14,697
      Federal debt
      $12,500
      Graduation rate
      66%
    2. Rank in Virginia 2

      University of Virginia

      Charlottesville, VA · Public · #96 nationally

      68.5Value
      Earnings
      $86,653
      Net price
      $18,056
      Federal debt
      $11,000
      Graduation rate
      94%
    3. Rank in Virginia 3

      Old Dominion University

      Norfolk, VA · Public · #137 nationally

      65.5Value
      Earnings
      $90,917
      Net price
      $12,913
      Federal debt
      $16,106
      Graduation rate
      43%
    4. Rank in Virginia 4

      University of Mary Washington

      Fredericksburg, VA · Public · #149 nationally

      64.6Value
      Earnings
      $91,861
      Net price
      $23,821
      Federal debt
      $12,000
      Graduation rate
      65%
    5. Rank in Virginia 5

      Marymount University

      Arlington, VA · Private nonprofit · #246 nationally

      56.4Value
      Earnings
      $94,503
      Net price
      $28,521
      Federal debt
      $18,750
      Graduation rate
      55%
    6. Rank in Virginia 6

      James Madison University

      Harrisonburg, VA · Public · #278 nationally

      54.5Value
      Earnings
      $87,056
      Net price
      $23,550
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      80%
    7. Rank in Virginia 7

      Shenandoah University

      Winchester, VA · Private nonprofit · #322 nationally

      51.3Value
      Earnings
      $91,096
      Net price
      $31,149
      Federal debt
      $21,767
      Graduation rate
      63%
    8. Rank in Virginia 8

      Virginia Commonwealth University

      Richmond, VA · Public · #363 nationally

      48.2Value
      Earnings
      $86,661
      Net price
      $25,037
      Federal debt
      $21,120
      Graduation rate
      65%
    9. Rank in Virginia 9

      Radford University

      Radford, VA · Public · #411 nationally

      44.6Value
      Earnings
      $81,120
      Net price
      $13,701
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      48%
    10. Rank in Virginia 10

      Eastern Mennonite University

      Harrisonburg, VA · Private nonprofit · #507 nationally

      37.9Value
      Earnings
      $81,610
      Net price
      $24,731
      Federal debt
      $20,450
      Graduation rate
      60%
    11. Rank in Virginia 11

      Longwood University

      Farmville, VA · Public · #517 nationally

      37.3Value
      Earnings
      $82,678
      Net price
      $20,773
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      62%
    12. Rank in Virginia 12

      Averett University

      Danville, VA · Private nonprofit · #553 nationally

      33.9Value
      Earnings
      $84,065
      Net price
      $27,629
      Federal debt
      $21,354
      Graduation rate
      45%
    13. Rank in Virginia 13

      Liberty University

      Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit · #570 nationally

      32.4Value
      Earnings
      $82,883
      Net price
      $29,235
      Federal debt
      $25,697
      Graduation rate
      64%
    14. Rank in Virginia 14

      University of Lynchburg

      Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit · #670 nationally

      18.3Value
      Earnings
      $77,007
      Net price
      $27,198
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      59%

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

    What are the best colleges for nursing in Virginia?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Virginia colleges for nursing are George Mason University (value score 73.1), University of Virginia (value score 68.5) and Old Dominion University (value score 65.5). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Virginia college has the highest earnings for nursing graduates?

    Marymount University: its nursing graduates have median earnings of $94,503 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable nursing 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 nursing?

    14 Virginia colleges have a nursing 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.