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Best Value Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Value Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

12 Colleges
$12,004 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$25,084 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Biological & Physical Science School for You

With 1,382 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, biological and physical science is the #25 most popular major in Virginia.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.

The Best Value Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 12 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best value programs for biological science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

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. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

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

2023 Best Value Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for biological science majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Biological & Physical Science Schools

$4,739 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Lord Fairfax Community College the best value school in Virginia for biological and physical science students. Located in the rural area of Middletown, Lord Fairfax Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lord Fairfax Community College are $4,739 per year. On average, biological science graduates from Lord Fairfax Community College take out $9,300 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Biological & Physical Science at Lord Fairfax Community College

$3,998 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Reynolds Community College is a great value for biological and physical science students. Located in the large suburb of Richmond, Reynolds Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Reynolds Community College are $3,998 a year. After completing their degree, biological science graduates from Reynolds Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,232.

Read full report on Biological & Physical Science at Reynolds Community College

#3

Blue Ridge Community College

Weyers Cave, VA
$5,364 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Blue Ridge Community College is a great value for biological and physical science students. Located in the rural area of Weyers Cave, BRCC is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BRCC are $5,364 per year. On average, biological science graduates from BRCC take out $7,117 in student loans while working on their degree.

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$5,565 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Virginia Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia list. Located in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northern Virginia Community College are $5,565 per year. On average, biological science graduates from Northern Virginia Community College take out $11,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Northern Virginia Community College also did well on our Best Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read full report on Biological & Physical Science at Northern Virginia Community College

$4,806 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Thomas Nelson Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best biological and physical science schools in Virginia. TNCC is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Hampton.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at TNCC are $4,806 a year. On average, biological science graduates from TNCC take out $9,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Biological & Physical Science at Thomas Nelson Community College

$5,355 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia Western Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value biological and physical science programs. Located in the midsize city of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Virginia Western Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,355 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, biological science graduates from Virginia Western Community College take out $8,750 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Biological & Physical Science at Virginia Western Community College

$5,561 Average Tuition & Fees

Tidewater Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for biological and physical science students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Tidewater Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,561 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, biological science graduates from Tidewater Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,000.

Read full report on Biological & Physical Science at Tidewater Community College

#8

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, George Mason University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for biological and physical science students. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Fairfax.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GMU are $13,119 per year.

GMU also claimed a spot on our Best Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

Full Biological & Physical Science at George Mason University Report

#9

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
$23,812 Average Tuition & Fees

William & Mary did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for biological and physical science students. It came in at #9 on the list. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at William & Mary are $23,812 a year.

William & Mary also made our Best Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #5.

Read full report on Biological & Physical Science at William & Mary

#10

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA
$19,785 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia ranking. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.

University of Virginia undergraduate students pay an average of $19,785 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

University of Virginia also made our Best Biological & Physical Science Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #1.

Read full report on Biological & Physical Science at University of Virginia - Main Campus

Best Value Biological & Physical Science Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Biological & Physical Science Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 112
North Carolina 3
Florida 637
Tennessee 37
Kentucky 8
South Carolina 1
Louisiana 11
Arkansas 41
Alabama 10
Mississippi 14
West Virginia 6

One of 44 majors within the area of study, biological and physical science has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Biological Science

Related Major Annual Graduates
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 34,975
Interdisciplinary Studies 9,074
International Studies 7,368
Nutrition Science 5,330
Behavioral Science 4,169

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 12 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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