2026 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Virginia
[Nursing Practice](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-practice/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for nursing practice students.
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2026 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the nursing practice degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Nursing Practice Schools
For return on investment in nursing practice, no school beat Bryant And Stratton College Virginia Beach this year. Set in the city of Virginia Beach, Bryant And Stratton College Virginia Beach is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,752. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $37,278 in student loans. Nursing Practice graduates of Bryant And Stratton College Virginia Beach earn a median of $34,287 early in their careers. Set against $37,278 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Radford University earned it the #2 place for nursing practice. Located in the town of Radford, Radford University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $12,548 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,633. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $26,000. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $85,443. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Radford University admits about 90% of applicants.
George Mason University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing practice schools. George Mason University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax. In-state tuition and fees average $14,220, with out-of-state students paying around $38,688. Students borrow a median of $22,750 to complete the nursing practice program here. Soon after graduation, nursing practice degree recipients from George Mason University generally make around $99,718. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. George Mason University admits about 88% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Virginia Commonwealth University one of the best values for nursing practice. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,720, with out-of-state students paying around $39,884. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $26,250 in student loans. Nursing Practice graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median of $128,772 early in their careers. Set against $26,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Virginia Commonwealth University admits about 93% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes James Madison University one of the best values for nursing practice. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,966, with out-of-state students paying around $31,312. Students borrow a median of $21,347 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $87,152. That is a strong return on a $21,347 median debt. James Madison University admits about 72% of applicants.
Bluefield College earned the #6 position for value in nursing practice this year. Located in the town of Bluefield, Bluefield College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,770. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $22,442. Nursing Practice graduates of Bluefield College earn a median of $49,380 early in their careers. Set against $22,442 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 59% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Virginia Main Campus earned the #7 position for value in nursing practice this year. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,118, with out-of-state students paying around $61,591. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $15,130 in student loans. Nursing Practice graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $98,628 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 17%.
Eastern Mennonite University came in at #8 for value in nursing practice this year. Set in the city of Harrisonburg, Eastern Mennonite University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $43,920 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $28,979. Nursing Practice graduates of Eastern Mennonite University earn a median of $73,478 early in their careers. Set against $28,979 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Eastern Mennonite University admits about 100% of applicants.
Marymount University placed #9 among the best values for nursing practice. Marymount University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Arlington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,120. Students borrow a median of $29,166 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $92,849. Set against $29,166 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Marymount University admits about 93% of applicants.
Liberty University placed #10 among the best values for nursing practice. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,173. Typical student debt for nursing practice graduates is $27,457. Nursing Practice graduates of Liberty University earn a median of $83,872 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
More Nursing Practice Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
