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 2023 rankings named Christopher Newport University the best value school in Virginia for physics students. CNU is a small public school located in the city of Newport News.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CNU are $14,924 a year.
CNU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list.
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The excellent programs at Radford University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best physics schools in Virginia. Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Radford are $11,542 per year.
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Out of the 10 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the # 3 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Virginia Tech are $14,174 a year. While working on their degree, physics majors at Virginia Tech accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt.
Virginia Tech also took the #3 spot in our Best Physics Schools in Virginia rankings.
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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 college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JMU are $12,638 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, JMU is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Mary Washington. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia list. UMW is a small public school located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMW are $13,800 a year.
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George Mason University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia ranking. GMU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at GMU are $13,119 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, GMU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list.
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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 city of Richmond.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at VCU are $15,028 a 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 came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in Virginia ranking. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at University of Virginia are $19,785 a year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Virginia is ranked #1 for overall quality for physics in Virginia.
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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 small suburb of Williamsburg.
William & Mary undergraduate students pay an average of $23,812 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, physics graduates from William & Mary take out $19,912 in student loans while working on their degree.
William & Mary also made our Best Physics Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #5.
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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 small suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Bridgewater undergraduate students pay an average of $38,460 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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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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