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2023 Best Value Colleges for Economics in Virginia (With Aid)

16 Ranked Colleges
1,329 Degrees Awarded
$23,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 49,055 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

Across Virginia, there were 1,329 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $54,485 and $22,499 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered a degree in economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent economics programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid.

Top 16 Best Value Colleges for Economics in Virginia (With Aid)

1
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 528 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia economics students with aid list, University of Virginia has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $22,006 for virginia economics students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at University of Virginia

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #2 spot on the list. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia economics students with aid list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,301 for Virginia Economics students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Economics at Virginia Tech

3
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 127 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $19,593 for Virginia Economics students with aid per year to attend William & Mary.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full William & Mary Economics Report

4
VMI crest
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Military Institute. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Lexington, Virginia, and it awarded 48 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

VMI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $22,025 for Virginia Economics students with aid per year to attend Virginia Military Institute.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Virginia Military Institute

5
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid. JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

JMU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $22,562 for virginia economics students with aid per year to attend James Madison University.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at JMU

6
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George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 202 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for George Mason University is $19,551 for Virginia Economics students with aid.

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 Economics Report

7
Washington and Lee crest
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia

Washington and Lee University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Lexington, Virginia, and it awarded 63 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Washington and Lee did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee University is $26,175 for virginia economics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Washington and Lee

8
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. University of Richmond is located in University of Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

URichmond not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $27,050 for virginia economics students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Economics at URichmond

9
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 10 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Old Dominion also took the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $17,204 for Virginia Economics students with aid per year to attend Old Dominion.

Full Old Dominion University Economics Report

10
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, Virginia

Radford University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Radford University is located in Radford, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Radford also took the #16 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Radford is $16,505 for Virginia Economics students with aid.

Read full report on Economics at Radford University

11
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. Fredericksburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

UMW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $23,193 for virginia economics students with aid per year to attend University of Mary Washington.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 more about Economics at UMW

12
CNU crest
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia

Christopher Newport University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Newport News, Virginia, and it awarded 19 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CNU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Christopher Newport University is $25,855 for virginia economics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.

Full CNU Economics Report

13
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, Virginia

Roanoke College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Roanoke College is a small school located in Salem, Virginia that handed out 3 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Roanoke also took the #9 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $26,997 for Virginia Economics students with aid per year to attend Roanoke.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Roanoke

14
Randolph - Macon crest
Randolph - Macon College
Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ashland, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

Randolph - Macon also took the #8 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $25,551 for Virginia Economics students with aid per year to attend Randolph - Macon.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full Randolph - Macon Economics Report

15
Lynchburg crest
University of Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia

University of Lynchburg came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lynchburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

Lynchburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Lynchburg is $23,134 for virginia economics students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Economics at Lynchburg

16
Hampden - Sydney crest
Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

With a ranking of #16, Hampden - Sydney College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Economics Schools in Virginia For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, and it awarded 36 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Hampden - Sydney also made our “Best Economics Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Hampden - Sydney College is $30,746 for virginia economics students with aid.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Hampden - Sydney

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