2026 Best Value General Engineering Schools in Virginia
[General Engineering](/majors/engineering/general-engineering/other-general-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 26 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general engineering students.
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2026 Best Value General Engineering Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Engineering Schools
Leading the list is J Sargeant Reynolds Community College, our #1 best value for general engineering in Virginia. J Sargeant Reynolds Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Richmond. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,280, compared with $11,718 for out-of-state students. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $10,500 in student loans. General Engineering graduates of J Sargeant Reynolds Community College earn a median of $36,965 early in their careers. Set against $10,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general engineering will find it at John Tyler Community College, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Chester, John Tyler Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,082, compared with $11,520 for out-of-state students. General Engineering graduates carry a median of $11,262 in student loans. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $36,623. Set against $11,262 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general engineering will find it at Lord Fairfax Community College, which ranked #3. Lord Fairfax Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Middletown. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,072, compared with $11,510 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $10,698. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $37,531. Set against $10,698 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Virginia Western Community College earned it the #4 place for general engineering. Virginia Western Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Roanoke. Students from in state pay about $5,400 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,838 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,715 to complete the general engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from Virginia Western Community College generally make around $36,245. That is a strong return on a $13,715 median debt.
Germanna Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Locust Grove, Germanna Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,257, compared with $11,648 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,999 to complete the general engineering program here. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $41,880. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Piedmont Virginia Community College came in at #6 for value in general engineering this year. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, Piedmont Virginia Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,072, compared with $11,510 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,495 to complete the general engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from Piedmont Virginia Community College generally make around $46,129. Set against $12,495 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Thomas Nelson Community College earned the #7 position for value in general engineering this year. Set in the suburb of Hampton, Thomas Nelson Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,088, while out-of-state students pay about $11,526. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $14,402. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $36,758. That is a strong return on a $14,402 median debt.
Tidewater Community College came in at #8 for value in general engineering this year. Set in the city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,858 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $12,296. Students borrow a median of $12,250 to complete the general engineering program here. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $68,555. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northern Virginia Community College landed the #9 spot for general engineering value this year. Set in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,891 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,410. Students borrow a median of $9,500 to complete the general engineering program here. Early-career general engineering graduates make about $16,790. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Southwest Virginia Community College landed the #10 spot for general engineering value this year. Set in the rural area of Cedar Bluff, Southwest Virginia Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,075, while out-of-state students pay about $11,513. Students borrow a median of $5,500 to complete the general engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from Southwest Virginia Community College generally make around $32,277. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Old Dominion University landed the #11 spot for general engineering value this year. Set in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,750, with out-of-state students paying around $33,780. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $26,001. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from Old Dominion University generally make around $88,224. That is a strong return on a $26,001 median debt. Old Dominion University admits about 90% of applicants.
James Madison University earned the #12 position for value in general engineering this year. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,966, with out-of-state students paying around $31,312. Typical student debt for general engineering graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from James Madison University generally make around $71,176. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Randolph Macon College earned the #13 position for value in general engineering this year. Randolph Macon College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Ashland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,466. Students borrow a median of $26,432 to complete the general engineering program here. Soon after graduation, general engineering degree recipients from Randolph Macon College generally make around $40,317. That is a strong return on a $26,432 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Hampton University earned the #14 position for value in general engineering this year. Located in the suburb of Hampton, Hampton University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $30,592. Students borrow a median of $26,169 to complete the general engineering program here. General Engineering graduates of Hampton University earn a median of $46,870 early in their careers. Set against $26,169 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Hampton University admits about 62% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 26 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
