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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (Income $30-$48k) in Virginia

25 Ranked Colleges
3,513 Degrees Awarded
$17,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

General Biology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 107,165 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,334 and had an average of $23,818 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 3,513 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,417 and $24,714 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in general biology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general biology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general biology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The biology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Biology (Income $30-$48k) in Virginia

1
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 141 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

William & Mary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $7,507 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full William & Mary General Biology Report

2
VMI crest
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Military Institute. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Virginia Military Institute is located in Lexington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

VMI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for VMI is $12,429 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at VMI

3
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 351 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $10,063 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia General Biology Report

4
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 335 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $14,003 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Virginia Tech

5
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Richmond landed the #5 spot on the list. URichmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 66 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

URichmond also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $8,606 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full URichmond General Biology Report

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. JMU is a large public school situated in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It awarded 230 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for James Madison University is $14,985 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at James Madison University

7
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 426 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $15,979 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend George Mason University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at George Mason University

8
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this large public school handed out 235 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.

Old Dominion not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $13,574 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Old Dominion.

Read more about General Biology at Old Dominion University

9
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, Virginia

Radford University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.

Radford also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Radford University is $13,026 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Radford University General Biology Report

10

Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. VCU is a large school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 506 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

VCU also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend VCU is $15,891 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University

11
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, University of Mary Washington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Mary Washington is a small school located in Fredericksburg, Virginia that handed out 101 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMW has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Mary Washington is $16,459 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMW General Biology Report

12
CNU crest
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, Christopher Newport University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Newport News, Virginia, this small public school handed out 153 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.

CNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $15,990 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CNU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at CNU

13
Bridgewater crest
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, Virginia

With a ranking of #13, Bridgewater College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bridgewater, Virginia. It awarded 22 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Bridgewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater College is $18,579 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Bridgewater

14
Randolph - Macon crest
Randolph - Macon College
Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Randolph - Macon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Virginia. It awarded 47 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Randolph - Macon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph - Macon College is $20,027 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Randolph - Macon General Biology Report

15
Virginia State crest
Virginia State University
Petersburg, Virginia

Virginia State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Virginia State is located in Petersburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Virginia State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $16,672 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia State University.

Read full report on General Biology at Virginia State

16
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, Virginia

Roanoke College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salem, Virginia. It awarded 33 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Roanoke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Roanoke College is $20,849 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Biology at Roanoke College

17
Randolph crest
Randolph College
Lynchburg, Virginia

Randolph College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Randolph is a small school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 21 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Randolph also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph College is $20,454 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Randolph General Biology Report

18
Hollins crest
Hollins University
Roanoke, Virginia

Hollins University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Roanoke, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biology degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

Hollins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hollins University is $16,657 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Hollins University General Biology Report

19
Lynchburg crest
University of Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia

University of Lynchburg did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Lynchburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 36 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Lynchburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $18,080 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lynchburg.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Biology at University of Lynchburg

20
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia

Shenandoah University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Shenandoah is a small school located in Winchester, Virginia that handed out 32 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Shenandoah not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $26,784 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Shenandoah University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Shenandoah General Biology Report

21
Marymount crest
Marymount University
Arlington, Virginia

With a ranking of #21, Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Arlington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $21,777 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Marymount.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Biology at Marymount

22
Hampden - Sydney crest
Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Hampden - Sydney College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, and it awarded 25 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

Hampden - Sydney not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $27,931 for Virginia Biology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hampden - Sydney College.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hampden - Sydney College General Biology Report

23
Hampton crest
Hampton University
Hampton, Virginia

Hampton University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hampton is located in Hampton, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 78 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Hampton has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hampton University is $13,885 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Biology at Hampton

24
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 143 degrees to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.

Liberty University also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $27,251 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Biology at Liberty University

25
VUU crest
Virginia Union University
Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Union University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Virginia Union University is a small school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 30 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k list, VUU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for VUU is $19,117 for virginia biology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full VUU General Biology Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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