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Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Virginia

32 Colleges
$27,025 Avg Salary
$13,423 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies School for You

Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular subjects to study in Virginia. With 9,302 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 2nd 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. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 32 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges.

Top 10 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools

#1

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA

Our analysis found Eastern Mennonite University to be the best school for liberal arts general studies students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, Eastern Mennonite is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, liberal arts graduates from Eastern Mennonite take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Eastern Mennonite University Report

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Northern Virginia Community College is a great place for liberal arts general studies students. Northern Virginia Community College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Annandale.

On average, liberal arts graduates from Northern Virginia Community College take out $11,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#3

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, VA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Bridgewater College is a great place for liberal arts general studies students. Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Bridgewater.

After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Bridgewater carry an average student debtload of $24,440.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Bridgewater College Report

#4

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

Out of the 32 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the # 4 spot on the list. JMU is a very large public school located in the small city of Harrisonburg.

While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at JMU accumulate an average of around $23,243 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $416, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at James Madison University Report

#5

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA

The excellent programs at Shenandoah University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts general studies schools in Virginia. Located in the small city of Winchester, Shenandoah is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Shenandoah University Report

#6

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA

With a ranking of #6, University of Mary Washington did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at UMW take out is $22,552. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $398, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#7

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

George Mason University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public school with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at GMU accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $376, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at George Mason University

Tidewater Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Virginia list. Tidewater Community College is a large public school located in the city of Norfolk.

Liberal Arts majors at Tidewater Community College take out an average of $12,577 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#9

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, VA

With a ranking of #9, Mary Baldwin University did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the city of Staunton, Mary Baldwin is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Mary Baldwin accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Mary Baldwin University

#10

Germanna Community College

Locust Grove, VA

Germanna Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. Germanna Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Locust Grove.

After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Germanna Community College carry an average student debtload of $9,285.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Germanna Community College

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 7,724
North Carolina 18,234
Florida 64,444
Tennessee 10,186
Kentucky 6,493
South Carolina 4,243
Louisiana 2,864
Arkansas 5,205
Alabama 5,890
Mississippi 5,696
West Virginia 3,558

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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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