2026 Best Value Homeland Security Schools in Virginia
[Homeland Security](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/homeland-security/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong homeland security education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for homeland security students.
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2026 Best Value Homeland Security Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in homeland security, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Homeland Security Schools
George Mason University earned the #1 spot for value among homeland security schools in Virginia. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,220, compared with $38,688 for out-of-state students. Homeland Security graduates carry a median of $21,741 in student loans. Homeland Security graduates of George Mason University earn a median of $114,896 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,741 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Liberty University one of the best values for homeland security. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,173. Homeland Security graduates carry a median of $27,414 in student loans. Early-career homeland security graduates make about $45,877. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
