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2023 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in Virginia (With Aid)

28 Ranked Colleges
14,893 Degrees Awarded
$9,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 556,813 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts / sciences and humanities is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 14,893 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,025 and $13,423 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The liberal arts / sciences & humanities 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 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in Virginia (With Aid)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Virginia Community College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. Northern Virginia Community College is a large school located in Annandale, Virginia that handed out 3,606 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

Northern Virginia Community College also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $9,452 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend Northern Virginia Community College.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northern Virginia Community College

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend John Tyler Community College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. John Tyler Community College is located in Chester, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 582 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, John Tyler Community College has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $5,959 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend John Tyler Community College.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at John Tyler Community College

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tidewater Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this fairly large public school handed out 641 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

Tidewater Community College also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Tidewater Community College is $7,312 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Tidewater Community College

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southside Virginia Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Southside Virginia Community College is located in Alberta, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 504 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Southside Virginia Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southside Virginia Community College is $6,239 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Full Southside Virginia Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

5
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Patrick Henry Community College
Martinsville, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Patrick Henry Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Patrick Henry Community College is a small school located in Martinsville, Virginia that handed out 422 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

Patrick Henry did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Patrick Henry Community College is $4,820 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Full Patrick Henry Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

6
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Germanna Community College
Locust Grove, Virginia

Germanna Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Germanna Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Locust Grove, Virginia. It awarded 1,440 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

Germanna Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Germanna Community College is $7,253 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Germanna Community College

7
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Wytheville Community College
Wytheville, Virginia

Wytheville Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Wytheville, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 224 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,462 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend WCC.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Wytheville Community College

8
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Lord Fairfax Community College
Middletown, Virginia

Lord Fairfax Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Middletown, Virginia, and it awarded 782 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, Lord Fairfax Community College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lord Fairfax Community College is $6,406 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Lord Fairfax Community College

9

Virginia Western Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This medium-sized school is located in Roanoke, Virginia, and it awarded 119 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Western Community College also took the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Western Community College is $6,428 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Full Virginia Western Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

10
Danville Community College crest
Danville Community College
Danville, Virginia

Danville Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Danville Community College is a small school located in Danville, Virginia that handed out 236 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Danville Community College, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Danville Community College is $7,823 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Danville Community College

11
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Piedmont Virginia Community College
Charlottesville, Virginia

Piedmont Virginia Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Piedmont Virginia Community College is a small public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 587 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

PVCC also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for PVCC is $6,913 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Full Piedmont Virginia Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

12

With a ranking of #12, Dabney S Lancaster Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Dabney S Lancaster Community College is a small school located in Clifton Forge, Virginia that handed out 128 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, DSLCC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DSLCC is $4,985 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Full Dabney S Lancaster Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

13
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George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. GMU is a public institution located in Fairfax, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 362 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $19,551 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend GMU.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full George Mason University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

14

Central Virginia Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 648 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, Central Virginia Community College has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Virginia Community College is $4,869 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Central Virginia Community College

15

Rappahannock Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Glenns, Virginia, this small public school awarded 438 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, RCC has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $5,921 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend Rappahannock Community College.

Full Rappahannock Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

16

Paul D Camp Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Franklin, Virginia, and it awarded 71 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Paul D Camp Community College is $4,435 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Paul D Camp Community College

17
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 263 students in 2020-2021.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $22,562 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full James Madison University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

18

New River Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Dublin, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 355 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, NRCC has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NRCC is $6,475 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at NRCC

19

Virginia Highlands Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Abingdon, Virginia, and it awarded 250 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,964 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend VHCC.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at VHCC

20
BRCC crest
Blue Ridge Community College
Weyers Cave, Virginia

Blue Ridge Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. BRCC is located in Weyers Cave, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 535 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, BRCC has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $9,551 for virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend BRCC.

Full BRCC Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

21

Southwest Virginia Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Southwest Virginia Community College is a small public school situated in Richlands, Virginia. It awarded 215 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, Southwest Virginia has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $6,933 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend Southwest Virginia Community College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Southwest Virginia Community College

22
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. UMW is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

UMW also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary Washington is $23,193 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

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 University of Mary Washington Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

23
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Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, Virginia

Bridgewater College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bridgewater College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bridgewater, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Bridgewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $20,457 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend Bridgewater College.

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 full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Bridgewater College

24
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Eastern Mennonite University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

Eastern Mennonite University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Eastern Mennonite University is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Eastern Mennonite also took the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Mennonite is $21,842 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Eastern Mennonite University

25
Mary Baldwin crest
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, Virginia

Mary Baldwin University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mary Baldwin is a small school located in Staunton, Virginia that handed out 33 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

Mary Baldwin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mary Baldwin University is $18,354 for Virginia Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Full Mary Baldwin University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

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