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Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

10 Colleges
$17,728 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$44,253 Avg Salary

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.

2023 Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia

Check out the physics programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Physics Schools

#1

Christopher Newport University

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

Our 2023 rankings named Christopher Newport University the best value school in Virginia for physics students. CNU is a small public school located in the midsize city of Newport News.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CNU are $14,924 a 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.

Read full report on Physics at Christopher Newport University

#2

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 #2 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia list. Located in the suburb of Radford, Radford is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Radford are $11,542 per year.

Full Physics at Radford University Report

#3

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
$14,174 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia list. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small 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 did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list.

Full Physics at Virginia Tech Report

#4

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at James Madison University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best physics schools in Virginia. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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

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

Read full report on Physics at James Madison University

#5

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA
$13,800 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Mary Washington is a great value for physics students. UMW is a small public school located in the suburb of Fredericksburg.

UMW undergraduate students pay an average of $13,800 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Physics at University of Mary Washington

#6

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

George Mason University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia ranking. GMU is a fairly 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.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, GMU also did well on our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read More…

$15,028 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physics programs. VCU is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Richmond.

VCU undergraduate students pay an average of $15,028 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, physics graduates from VCU carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Read More…

$19,785 Average Tuition & Fees

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 suburb of Charlottesville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Virginia are $19,785 per year.

University of Virginia also took the #1 spot in our Best Physics Schools in Virginia rankings.

Read full report on Physics at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#9

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
$23,812 Average Tuition & Fees

William & Mary came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia ranking. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the small 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.

William & Mary also took the #5 spot in our Best Physics Schools in Virginia rankings.

Read More…

#10

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, VA
$38,460 Average Tuition & Fees

Bridgewater College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for physics students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Bridgewater are $38,460 a year.

Read More…

Best Value Physics Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Physics Schools 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

One of 8 majors within the area of study, physics has other similar majors worth exploring.

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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