2026 Best Value Rhetoric & Composition Schools in Virginia
[Rhetoric & Composition](/majors/english-language-literature/writing-studies/rhetoric-and-composition/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong rhetoric & composition education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for rhetoric & composition students.
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2026 Best Value Rhetoric & Composition Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in rhetoric & composition, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Rhetoric & Composition Schools
For return on investment in rhetoric & composition, no school beat Old Dominion University this year. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,750, while out-of-state students pay about $33,780. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the rhetoric & composition program here. Soon after graduation, rhetoric & composition degree recipients from Old Dominion University generally make around $35,716. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at George Mason University earned it the #2 place for rhetoric & composition. George Mason University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,220, with out-of-state students paying around $38,688. Typical student debt for rhetoric & composition graduates is $23,250. Soon after graduation, rhetoric & composition degree recipients from George Mason University generally make around $37,716. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Liberty University one of the best values for rhetoric & composition. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. Students from in state pay about $16,173 in tuition and fees. Rhetoric & Composition graduates carry a median of $27,414 in student loans. Soon after graduation, rhetoric & composition degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $35,180. Set against $27,414 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Richmond came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value rhetoric & composition schools. Set in the city of University of Richmond, University Of Richmond is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $65,230 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $21,634 to complete the rhetoric & composition program here. Early-career rhetoric & composition graduates make about $53,815. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Richmond admits about 22% 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
