For those interested in studying in Virginia, we have a very useful list. We selected the best Virginia institutions for prospective students. Please know that rankings are based on academic research, alumni reviews, graduation rates, as well as assessment from peer colleges. On the page, you will find major admissions stats such as acceptance rate, tuition fees, average SAT scores for each ranked college or university.
| Rankings | Schools |
| 1 | University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) Tuition: in-state: $12,006, out-of-state: $38,018 Total enrollment: 24,297 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 33.3% Average freshman retention rate: 97% 6-year graduation rate: 94% Classes with under 20 students: 52.9% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1240-1460 |
| 2 | College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, VA) Tuition: in-state: $13,570, out-of-state: $36,753 Total enrollment: 8,200 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 34.6% Average freshman retention rate: 95% 6-year graduation rate: 91% Classes with under 20 students: 47.7% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1240-1450 |
| 3 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, VA) Tuition: in-state: $10,930, out-of-state: $25,320 Total enrollment: 30,936 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 66.6% Average freshman retention rate: 91% 6-year graduation rate: 82% Classes with under 20 students: 28.3% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1110-1310 |
| 4 | George Mason University (Fairfax, VA) Tuition: in-state: $9,620, out-of-state: $27,764 Total enrollment: 33,320 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 52.8% Average freshman retention rate: 86% 6-year graduation rate: 64% Classes with under 20 students: 27.9% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1050-1250 |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA) Tuition: in-state: $9,885, out-of-state: $23,300 Total enrollment: 31,899 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 65.7% Average freshman retention rate: 85% 6-year graduation rate: 53% Classes with under 20 students: 34.5% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 980-1190 |
| 6 | Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA) Tuition: in-state: $8,450, out-of-state: $23,330 Total enrollment: 24,753 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 75.4% Average freshman retention rate: 80% 6-year graduation rate: 50% Classes with under 20 students: 34.2% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 920-1120 |
| 7 | Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA) Tuition: N/A Total enrollment: 5,915 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 83.9% Average freshman retention rate: 73% 6-year graduation rate: N/A Classes with under 20 students: 60.9% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 930-1170 |
Economy of Virginia
Virginia is one of the wealthiest and most economically developed states in the US. Among the twenty-five US counties with the highest income levels are six counties and two cities in Virginia, with Loudoun and Fairfax counties leading the list.
Virginia has been repeatedly recognized as the best state for doing business in the United States, eighteen companies from the Fortune 500 list (the list of the richest US companies) are located here.
The Virginia economy is very diverse and well balanced. Mining is being carried out here, agriculture is well developed, there are a lot of civil servants and military personnel, modern high-tech industries are developing rapidly and successfully. A third of Virginia’s workers are employed in the service industry.
Virginia accounts for about 10% of all US federal purchases.
Virginia produces coal, shale, sand, gravel, and other minerals.
Traditionally, agriculture is well developed in the region, 24% of the state’s land is used for agricultural purposes. Here they grow tomatoes, soybeans, peanuts and, of course, the famous Virginia tobacco, which for many decades was the main source of income for the state.
Well developed in the northern regions of Virginia, animal husbandry, especially dairy. Chesapeake Bay oysters are invariably in demand among buyers.
In recent decades, viticulture and winemaking have been successfully developing in the areas adjacent to the Blue Ridge.
The largest employer in Virginia is the federal government in general and its security forces in particular. Virginia has more military personnel than any other state in the United States.
In the Arlington area in Northern Virginia, separated by the Potomac River from the US capital Washington, the famous Pentagon is located – the largest office building in the world (more than 600,000 m 2), the headquarters of the US Department of Defense. The Pentagon has over 26,000 military and civilian employees.
Nearby, in Langley, is the headquarters of the CIA – the US Central Intelligence Agency.
In the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, many military facilities are concentrated, the largest and most famous of which is the US Navy base in Norfolk.
Virginia is also home to US Marine Corps Base Quantico, the US National Guard Bureau, the US Department of Defense Logistics Administration, the US Air Force Research Laboratory, and other defense facilities.
In addition to the military, many other federal agencies operate in Virginia, including the FBI Academy, the U.S. Marshals Service (Bailiffs), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Patent Registration Office and trademarks of the United States, the National Science Foundation, the US Geological Survey, and others.
In recent decades, high-tech knowledge-intensive sectors of the economy have been rapidly developing in the state of Virginia. One of the most profitable of them is the production of computer chips. Much attention is paid to the development of modern biotechnology, in particular, work in this area is being carried out at the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park in Richmond and at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Center in Ashbourne.