2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Economics School for You
Economics is the #26 most popular major in Virginia with 1,329 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 18 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best value programs for economics 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.
Top 10 Best Economics Schools
Our 2023 rankings named James Madison University the best value school in Virginia for economics students. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JMU are $12,638 per year. After completing their degree, economics graduates from JMU carry an average student debtload of $20,250. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $526, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
JMU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Economics Schools in Virginia list.
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The excellent programs at University of Virginia - Main Campus helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best economics schools in Virginia. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Virginia are $19,785 per year. Economics majors at University of Virginia take out an average of $18,290 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $535.
University of Virginia not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Economics Schools in Virginia list.
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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 economics schools in Virginia. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Virginia Tech are $14,174 a year. The average amount in student loans that economics majors at Virginia Tech take out is $22,214.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Virginia Tech is ranked #3 for overall quality for economics in Virginia.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia list. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Fairfax.
GMU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,119 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Economics majors at GMU take out an average of $22,987 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $263.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, GMU also is in the top 15% of our Best Economics Schools in Virginia ranking.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Old Dominion University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia list. Old Dominion is a very large public school located in the city of Norfolk.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Old Dominion are $10,800 per year.
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University of Mary Washington did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for economics students. It came in at #6 on the list. UMW is a small public school located in the suburb of Fredericksburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMW are $13,800 a year. On average, economics graduates from UMW take out $23,250 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #7, Christopher Newport University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for economics students. CNU is a small public school located in the city of Newport News.
CNU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,924 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, economics graduates from CNU carry an average student debtload of $22,500.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CNU also is in the top 15% of our Best Economics Schools in Virginia ranking.
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Radford University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value economics programs. Located in the 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. After completing their degree, economics graduates from Radford carry an average student debtload of $25,999.
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William & Mary landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value economics programs. 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. The average amount in student loans that economics majors at William & Mary take out is $21,250.
William & Mary also took the #5 spot in our Best Economics Schools in Virginia rankings.
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Virginia Military Institute landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value economics programs. VMI is a small public school located in the town of Lexington.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at VMI are $19,670 per year. The average amount in student loans that economics majors at VMI take out is $19,750.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, VMI is ranked #2 for overall quality for economics in Virginia.
Full Economics at Virginia Military Institute Report
Request InformationBest Value Economics Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Economics Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
State | Degrees Awarded |
---|---|
Georgia | 642 |
North Carolina | 1,251 |
Florida | 1,443 |
Tennessee | 436 |
Kentucky | 222 |
South Carolina | 316 |
Louisiana | 209 |
Arkansas | 103 |
Alabama | 107 |
Mississippi | 63 |
West Virginia | 42 |
More Economics Rankings in Virginia
Economics Related Majors for Economics
Economics is one of 12 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Political Science & Government | 49,282 |
Sociology | 38,475 |
General Social Sciences | 18,997 |
International Relations & National Security | 14,306 |
Anthropology | 11,415 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 18 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 pixabay.
More about our data sources and methodologies.