2027 Best Value Public Health Schools in Virginia
[Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for public health students.
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2027 Best Value Public Health Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public health, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Health Schools
Leading the list is Bryant And Stratton College Virginia Beach, our #1 best value for public health in Virginia. Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Bryant And Stratton College Virginia Beach is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,752. Students borrow a median of $33,366 to complete the public health program here. Early-career public health graduates make about $33,301. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Old Dominion University earned it the #2 place for public health. Old Dominion University is a very large public school located in the city of Norfolk. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,750, compared with $33,780 for out-of-state students. Public Health graduates carry a median of $26,001 in student loans. Public Health graduates of Old Dominion University earn a median of $57,131 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,001 median debt. Old Dominion University admits about 90% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes George Mason University one of the best values for public health. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,220, while out-of-state students pay about $38,688. Students borrow a median of $22,000 to complete the public health program here. Early-career public health graduates make about $52,149. Set against $22,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. George Mason University admits about 88% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Virginia Main Campus one of the best values for public health. Set in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,118, while out-of-state students pay about $61,591. Students borrow a median of $18,627 to complete the public health program here. Public Health graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $63,861 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 17% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in public health will find it at Lynchburg College, which ranked #5. Lynchburg College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,750. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Lynchburg College generally make around $107,159. The acceptance rate is 43%.
Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value public health schools. Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,720, while out-of-state students pay about $39,884. Typical student debt for public health graduates is $23,813. Public Health graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median of $58,177 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,813 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University landed the #7 spot for public health value this year. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. In-state tuition and fees average $15,948, while out-of-state students pay about $37,764. Students borrow a median of $23,393 to complete the public health program here. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University generally make around $66,357. Set against $23,393 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Liberty University landed the #8 spot for public health value this year. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $16,173 in tuition and fees. Public Health graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career public health graduates make about $44,068. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 99%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 8 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.
