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Best Value General Biology Schools in Virginia

2023 Best Value General Biology Schools in Virginia

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

25 Colleges
$24,154 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$28,417 Avg Salary

Finding the Best General Biology School for You

General Biology is one of the most popular subjects to study in Virginia. With 3,513 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 6th out of all the majors we track in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Value General Biology Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 25 schools in Virginia to see which programs offered the best value experiences for biology students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

Top 10 Best General Biology Schools

$19,670 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Virginia Military Institute the best value school in Virginia for general biology students. Located in the town of Lexington, VMI is a public school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at VMI are $19,670 per year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at VMI take out is $23,000.

VMI not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best General Biology Schools in Virginia list.

Full General Biology at Virginia Military Institute Report

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#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in Virginia list. JMU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JMU are $12,638 per year. While working on their degree, biology majors at JMU accumulate an average of around $23,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $368.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, JMU also is in the top 10% of our Best General Biology Schools in Virginia ranking.

Read full report on General Biology at James Madison University

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#3

Radford University

Radford, VA
$11,542 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Radford University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best general biology schools in Virginia. Radford is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Radford.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Radford are $11,542 a year. On average, biology graduates from Radford take out $25,960 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $304.

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#4

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA
$9,154 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Virginia State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in Virginia list. Located in the large suburb of Petersburg, Virginia State is a public school with a small student population.

Virginia State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,154 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at Virginia State take out is $29,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $260, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full General Biology at Virginia State University Report

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#5

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA
$10,800 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 25 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Old Dominion University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Norfolk, Old Dominion is a public school with a very large student population.

Old Dominion undergraduate students pay an average of $10,800 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at Old Dominion take out is $27,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $232.

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#6

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA
$14,924 Average Tuition & Fees

Christopher Newport University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in Virginia list. Located in the midsize city of Newport News, CNU is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CNU are $14,924 a year. Biology majors at CNU take out an average of $25,373 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $426, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

In addition to its great value ranking, CNU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in Virginia list.

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#7

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

George Mason University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in Virginia list. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at GMU are $13,119 a year. The average amount in student loans that biology majors at GMU take out is $21,890. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $270, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

GMU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best General Biology Schools in Virginia list.

Full General Biology at George Mason University Report

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#8

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
$14,174 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia Tech landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general biology programs. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Virginia Tech are $14,174 per year. Biology majors at Virginia Tech take out an average of $22,208 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $385.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Virginia Tech is ranked #3 for overall quality for biology in Virginia.

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#8

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA
$13,800 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Mary Washington came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Biology Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMW are $13,800 per year. While working on their degree, biology majors at UMW accumulate an average of around $21,500 in student debt.

Full General Biology at University of Mary Washington Report

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#10

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA
$19,785 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Biology Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at University of Virginia are $19,785 a year. On average, biology graduates from University of Virginia take out $19,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $519.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Virginia is ranked #1 for overall quality for biology in Virginia.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Virginia - Main Campus

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Best Value General Biology Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value General Biology Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 3,494
North Carolina 3,666
Florida 6,451
Tennessee 1,542
Kentucky 1,146
South Carolina 1,776
Louisiana 1,529
Arkansas 891
Alabama 1,940
Mississippi 1,380
West Virginia 526

General Biology is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Biology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology 14,535
Neurobiology & Neurosciences 11,615
Physiology & Pathology Sciences 8,813
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology 7,247
Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences 6,206

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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