2024 Best Value Colleges for General Biology in Virginia
25
Ranked Colleges
3,513
Degrees Awarded
$23,000
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking - to help you make that decision.
With 107,165 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, general biology is the 5th most popular major in the United States. 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” ranking looked at 25 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Biology in Virginia
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #1 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 335 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $21,301 for Virginia Biology students per year to attend Virginia Tech.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%.
Full Virginia Tech General Biology Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia. George Mason University is a public institution located in Fairfax, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 426 ’s 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. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $19,551 for Virginia Biology students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Biology at GMU
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 230 diplomas to qualified ’s biology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia biology students list, JMU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for James Madison University is $22,562 for Virginia Biology students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 more about General Biology at JMU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s biology degrees to 506 students in 2020-2021.
VCU also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for VCU is $20,490 for Virginia Biology students.
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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 351 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
University of Virginia also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $22,006 for virginia biology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.
Read more about General Biology at University of Virginia - Main Campus
With a ranking of #6, Old Dominion University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. This large school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 235 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Old Dominion did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $17,204 for virginia biology students per year to attend Old Dominion.
Read more about General Biology at Old Dominion
Radford University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia ranking, coming in at #7. Radford is a medium-sized school located in Radford, Virginia that handed out 80 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia biology students list, Radford has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $16,505 for virginia biology students per year to attend Radford.
Read full report on General Biology at Radford University
With a ranking of #8, Christopher Newport University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. CNU is a small school located in Newport News, Virginia that handed out 153 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
CNU also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $25,855 for Virginia Biology students per year to attend Christopher Newport University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Biology at CNU
Virginia Military Institute ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. VMI is a small school located in Lexington, Virginia that handed out 36 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia biology students list, VMI has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Military Institute is $22,025 for Virginia Biology students.
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. 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 undergrad 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 more about General Biology at VMI
With a ranking of #10, University of Mary Washington did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. University of Mary Washington is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 101 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
UMW also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMW is $23,193 for virginia biology students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UMW General Biology Report
With a ranking of #11, William & Mary did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 141 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $19,593 for virginia biology students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on General Biology at William & Mary
Liberty University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia ranking. Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 143 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
Liberty University also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $29,382 for virginia biology students per year to attend Liberty University.
Read more about General Biology at Liberty University
With a ranking of #13, Virginia State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. Virginia State University is a small school located in Petersburg, Virginia that handed out 54 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia State also took the #23 spot in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia State University is $17,237 for virginia biology students.
Read more about General Biology at Virginia State
With a ranking of #14, Randolph College did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. This small school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 21 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Randolph did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $23,325 for Virginia Biology students per year to attend Randolph College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on General Biology at Randolph College
Virginia Union University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. Virginia Union University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 30 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
VUU also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend VUU is $19,736 for Virginia Biology students.
Read more about General Biology at Virginia Union University
Shenandoah University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. Shenandoah is a small school located in Winchester, Virginia that handed out 32 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Shenandoah did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Shenandoah is $30,878 for Virginia Biology students.
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%.
Read full report on General Biology at Shenandoah
With a ranking of #17, Hampton University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. Hampton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hampton, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia biology students list, Hampton has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $26,824 for Virginia Biology students per year to attend Hampton University.
Read more about General Biology at Hampton University
University of Lynchburg came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia ranking. University of Lynchburg is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
Lynchburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Lynchburg is $23,134 for Virginia Biology students.
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 University of Lynchburg
With a ranking of #19, Marymount University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. Marymount is a small school located in Arlington, Virginia that handed out 31 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Marymount also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Marymount is $22,856 for virginia biology students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Biology at Marymount
With a ranking of #20, Randolph - Macon College did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. Randolph - Macon is located in Ashland, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
Randolph - Macon also made our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $25,551 for virginia biology students per year to attend Randolph - Macon.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Randolph - Macon College General Biology Report
Bridgewater College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia ranking. Bridgewater College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bridgewater, Virginia. It awarded 22 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Bridgewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater is $20,457 for Virginia Biology students.
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 more about General Biology at Bridgewater College
With a ranking of #22, Hollins University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. Hollins University is a small school located in Roanoke, Virginia that handed out 16 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Hollins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Hollins University is $20,127 for Virginia Biology students.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at Hollins
Roanoke College landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia ranking. Roanoke College is a small school located in Salem, Virginia that handed out 33 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Roanoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Roanoke is $26,997 for Virginia Biology students.
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 Roanoke General Biology Report
Hampden - Sydney College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, and it awarded 25 ’s biology degrees in 2020-2021.
Hampden - Sydney did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $30,746 for Virginia Biology students per year to attend Hampden - Sydney College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Biology at Hampden - Sydney
With a ranking of #25, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Biology Schools in Virginia list. URichmond is located in University of Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s biology degrees to qualified students.
URichmond did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Biology Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $27,050 for Virginia Biology students per year to attend URichmond.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Biology at URichmond
college factual
