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2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia

29 Ranked Colleges
2,913 Degrees Awarded
$22,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 102,043 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, general biology is the 5th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, general biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $28,233 and had an average of $23,964 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 3,420 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,143 and $25,518 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,913 general biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general biology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general biology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general biology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Biology Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in Virginia”.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Biology in Virginia

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 309 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,198 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The 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 Virginia Tech

#2

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Military Institute. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. Virginia Military Institute is a public institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VMI also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Military Institute is $17,804 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Virginia Military Institute General Biology Report

#3

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 197 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at JMU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $22,169 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend JMU.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full James Madison University General Biology Report

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the #4 spot on the list. GMU is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 266 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $21,048 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend George Mason University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full GMU General Biology Report

#5

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mary Washington landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Mary Washington is a small school located in Fredericksburg, Virginia that handed out 89 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

UMW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Mary Washington is $21,907 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 UMW

#6

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Newport News, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 157 students in 2019-2020.

CNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $25,596 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend Christopher Newport University.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read full report on General Biology at Christopher Newport University

#7

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 281 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree biology students list, University of Virginia has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $20,397 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend University of Virginia.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 University of Virginia - Main Campus

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #8. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 352 students in 2019-2020.

VCU also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Commonwealth University is $22,021 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full VCU General Biology Report

#9

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

Radford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #9. Radford is located in Radford, Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

Radford also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Radford is $16,447 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

Full Radford University General Biology Report

#10

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Old Dominion University is located in Norfolk, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 203 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Old Dominion, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Old Dominion University is $16,493 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

Full Old Dominion University General Biology Report

#11

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, Virginia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Virginia State is a public institution located in Petersburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Virginia State University is $16,970 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

Full Virginia State University General Biology Report

#12

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, Longwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Longwood is a small school located in Farmville, Virginia that handed out 51 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Longwood also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $19,462 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend Longwood University.

Read more about General Biology at Longwood University

#13

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #13, William & Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 137 students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $19,800 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend William & Mary.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Biology at William & Mary

#14

Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar, Virginia

Sweet Briar College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Sweet Briar, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s biology students in 2019-2020.

Sweet Briar also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $25,039 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend Sweet Briar.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Biology at Sweet Briar

#15

Randolph College

Lynchburg, Virginia

Randolph College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. This small school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph College is $20,625 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Randolph General Biology Report

#16

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #16. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 106 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $28,903 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

Full Liberty University General Biology Report

#17

Hampton University

Hampton, Virginia

Hampton University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Hampton, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s biology degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.

Hampton also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Hampton University is $31,307 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

Read full report on General Biology at Hampton University

#18

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #18, Virginia Union University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Virginia Union University is located in Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for VUU is $21,813 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

Full VUU General Biology Report

#19

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia

With a ranking of #19, Shenandoah University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Shenandoah University is located in Winchester, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s biology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree biology students list, Shenandoah has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Shenandoah University is $27,124 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Shenandoah General Biology Report

#20

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia

Marymount University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #20. Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Arlington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Marymount also made our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Marymount is $26,078 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Marymount General Biology Report

#21

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

With a ranking of #21, Virginia Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. VWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $23,425 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students per year to attend Virginia Wesleyan University.

Full Virginia Wesleyan University General Biology Report

#22

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia

Bridgewater College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bridgewater, Virginia. It awarded 32 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bridgewater, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater is $17,929 for virginia bachelor’s degree biology students.

Read full report on General Biology at Bridgewater College

#23

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Randolph - Macon is a small school located in Ashland, Virginia that handed out 54 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Randolph - Macon is $26,370 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Randolph - Macon General Biology Report

#24

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia

University of Lynchburg came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Lynchburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 36 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree biology students list, Lynchburg has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $23,207 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students per year to attend University of Lynchburg.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Biology at Lynchburg

#25

Hollins University

Roanoke, Virginia

Hollins University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Biology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. This small school is located in Roanoke, Virginia, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s biology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hollins University is $20,603 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Biology students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Biology at Hollins

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Notes and References

References

  • 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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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