2023 Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Physics School for You
In 2020-2021, 353 degrees and certificates were awarded to physics students who went to a Virginia college or university. This makes it the #68 most popular major in the state.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Virginia to see which programs offered the best value experiences for physics 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. 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.
Top 10 Best Physics Schools
Our analysis found Christopher Newport University to be the best value school for physics students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. CNU is a small public school located in the city of Newport News.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CNU are $14,924 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, CNU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list.
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Out of the 10 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Radford University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Radford undergraduate students pay an average of $11,542 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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The excellent programs at Virginia Tech helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best physics schools in Virginia. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Virginia Tech are $14,174 per year. While working on their degree, physics majors at Virginia Tech accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
Virginia Tech also made our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #3.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means James Madison University is a great value for physics students. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JMU are $12,638 per year.
JMU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list.
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Out of the 10 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mary Washington landed the # 5 spot on the list. UMW is a small public school located in the suburb of Fredericksburg.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMW are $13,800 per year.
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George Mason University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia list. GMU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.
GMU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,119 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
GMU also claimed a spot on our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia ranking. VCU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Richmond.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at VCU are $15,028 per year. After completing their degree, physics graduates from VCU carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for physics students. It came in at #8 on the list. University of Virginia is a very large public school located in the small 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 not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list.
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William & Mary landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physics programs. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at William & Mary are $23,812 per year. On average, physics graduates from William & Mary take out $19,912 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, William & Mary is ranked #5 for overall quality for physics in Virginia.
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With a ranking of #10, Bridgewater College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physics students. Located in the suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Bridgewater are $38,460 a year.
Full Physics at Bridgewater College Report
Request InformationBest Value Physics Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Physics Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 244 |
| North Carolina | 356 |
| Florida | 358 |
| Tennessee | 156 |
| Kentucky | 77 |
| South Carolina | 107 |
| Louisiana | 93 |
| Arkansas | 80 |
| Alabama | 117 |
| Mississippi | 45 |
| West Virginia | 44 |
More Physics Rankings in Virginia
Physics Related Majors for Physics
One of 8 majors within the area of study, physics has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Physics
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 21,239 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 7,821 |
| General Physical Sciences | 3,823 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,375 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 1,140 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 10 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 A. T. Service.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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