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Best Value Education Schools in Virginia

2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

19 Colleges
$20,892 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$48,428 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Education School for You

Education is one of the most popular subjects to study in Virginia. With 9,522 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 3rd out of all the majors we track in the state.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Education Schools in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 19 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best value programs for education students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.

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

Top 10 Best Education Schools

#1

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found James Madison University to be the best value school for education students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. JMU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Harrisonburg.

JMU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,638 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

JMU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Education Schools in Virginia list.

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#2

Longwood University

Farmville, VA
$14,090 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 19 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Longwood University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the town of Farmville, Longwood is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Longwood are $14,090 per year.

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#3

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA
$10,800 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Old Dominion University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in Virginia list. Located in the midsize city of Norfolk, Old Dominion is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Old Dominion undergraduate students pay an average of $10,800 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, education graduates from Old Dominion carry an average student debtload of $26,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $165.

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#4

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA
$39,990 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Eastern Mennonite University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best education schools in Virginia. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, Eastern Mennonite is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Eastern Mennonite are $39,990 per year.

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#5

Radford University

Radford, VA
$11,542 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Radford University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Virginia list. Radford is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of Radford.

Radford undergraduate students pay an average of $11,542 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, education graduates from Radford take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $189, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#6

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

George Mason University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value education programs. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GMU are $13,119 per year. While working on their degree, education majors at GMU accumulate an average of around $22,969 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $248.

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

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#6

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
$14,174 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia Tech landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value education programs. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a very large student population.

Virginia Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $14,174 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Education Schools in Virginia list.

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#8

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
$23,812 Average Tuition & Fees

William & Mary ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Virginia list. Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

William & Mary undergraduate students pay an average of $23,812 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

William & Mary did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Education Schools in Virginia list.

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#9

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA
$16,160 Average Tuition & Fees

Liberty University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for education students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Liberty University are $16,160 per year. The average amount in student loans that education majors at Liberty University take out is $30,096.

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#10

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA
$9,154 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in Virginia list. Located in the 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. After completing their degree, education graduates from Virginia State carry an average student debtload of $31,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $177.

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Best Value Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Education Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 7,730
West Virginia 1,515
Mississippi 4,219
South Carolina 3,980
Florida 10,069
Arkansas 4,954
Alabama 5,059
Kentucky 5,329
Georgia 9,722
Tennessee 5,194
Louisiana 2,977

Education Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
Special Education 36,792
General Education 29,810
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832
Student Counseling 13,858
Instructional Media Design 8,695
Teaching English or French 5,791
Other Education 4,858
Teaching Assistants 2,751
Educational Assessment 2,552
Multilingual Education 1,910
Education Philosophy 737
International Education 293

Majors Similar to Education

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 205,984
Psychology 195,678
Communication & Journalism 120,571
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 55,820
History 32,731

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 19 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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