Best Economics Colleges in Virginia2026 Rankings
Virginia is home to 32 accredited institutions offering Economics programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, University of Virginia-Main Campus is the most selective, admitting 17% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $29,000, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $38,630. Median early-career earnings for Economics graduates in this state average $41,822 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 66%.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington and Lee UniversityPrivate | Elite· 48 | 17% | 95% | $6,983 | $71,737 | 8:1 | 36 | 1,884 |
| 2 | University of Virginia-Main CampusPublic | Excellent· 46 | 17% | 95% | $14,658 | $74,958 | 15:1 | 61 | 17,315 |
| 3 | William & MaryPublic | Excellent· 46 | 33% | 91% | $12,603 | $65,603 | 13:1 | 35 | 6,949 |
| 4 | University of RichmondPrivate | Excellent· 45 | 23% | 88% | $15,818 | $61,027 | 7:1 | 43 | 3,002 |
| 5 | Virginia Military InstitutePublic | Excellent· 43 | 82% | 82% | $10,551 | $46,046 | 10:1 | 16 | 1,560 |
| 6 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityPublic | Excellent· 42 | 57% | 86% | $19,660 | $56,261 | 17:1 | 74 | 30,435 |
| 7 | James Madison UniversityPublic | Great· 39 | 76% | 81% | $17,150 | $62,286 | 17:1 | 47 | 20,497 |
| 8 | Hampden-Sydney CollegePrivate | Strong· 37 | 50% | 65% | $23,831 | $52,155 | 9:1 | 26 | 876 |
| 9 | Christopher Newport UniversityPublic | Strong· 37 | 88% | 75% | $15,030 | $45,309 | 13:1 | 23 | 4,402 |
| 10 | Randolph-Macon CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 83% | 75% | $28,921 | $40,654 | 10:1 | 40 | 1,489 |
| 11 | Shenandoah UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 78% | 71% | $25,951 | $47,589 | 11:1 | 36 | 2,127 |
| 12 | Hollins UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 71% | 70% | $24,291 | $25,104 | 8:1 | 25 | 673 |
| 13 | University of LynchburgPrivate | Strong· 35 | 82% | 62% | $19,432 | $45,005 | 11:1 | 34 | 1,599 |
| 14 | University of Virginia's College at WisePublic | Strong· 35 | 94% | 50% | $7,159 | $35,642 | 13:1 | 30 | 1,214 |
| 15 | Roanoke CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 80% | 66% | $24,279 | $36,855 | 11:1 | 34 | 1,801 |
| 16 | Sweet Briar CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 72% | 48% | $20,468 | $21,090 | 9:1 | 32 | 463 |
| 17 | George Mason UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 89% | 69% | $16,296 | $53,024 | 16:1 | 68 | 27,083 |
| 18 | Longwood UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 85% | 62% | $18,489 | $43,256 | 14:1 | 28 | 2,957 |
| 19 | University of Mary WashingtonPublic | Good· 33 | 86% | 67% | $19,886 | $45,153 | 13:1 | 27 | 3,504 |
| 20 | Randolph CollegePrivate | Good· 33 | 95% | 51% | $17,824 | $28,483 | 7:1 | 31 | 520 |
| 21 | Radford UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 91% | 50% | $14,533 | $45,189 | 12:1 | 48 | 5,609 |
| 22 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 93% | 65% | $16,455 | $45,370 | 17:1 | 56 | 20,797 |
| 23 | Old Dominion UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 91% | 44% | $13,142 | $46,400 | 15:1 | 52 | 17,521 |
| 24 | Marymount UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 81% | 58% | $24,661 | $57,794 | 13:1 | 29 | 1,795 |
| 25 | Eastern Mennonite UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 100% | 47% | $21,592 | $50,046 | 10:1 | 40 | 800 |
| 26 | Emory & Henry UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 96% | 54% | $19,781 | $31,937 | 12:1 | 42 | 1,107 |
| 27 | Virginia State UniversityPublic | Good· 30 | 89% | 41% | $17,511 | $31,713 | 13:1 | 33 | 4,787 |
| 28 | Bridgewater CollegePrivate | Average· 29 | 91% | 49% | $21,102 | $35,535 | 12:1 | 30 | 1,388 |
| 29 | Hampton UniversityPrivate | Average· 28 | 48% | 56% | $32,980 | $36,097 | 15:1 | 55 | 3,254 |
| 30 | Mary Baldwin UniversityPrivate | Fair· 25 | — | 56% | $16,899 | $38,267 | 14:1 | 38 | 1,188 |