The Top 50 Best Colleges in the US is College Raptor’s most prestigious rankings list. Updated annually, these schools are celebrated for their rich histories, stunning campuses, excellent academics, and vibrant student life. The institutions on this list are known for both academic excellence and impressive extracurricular opportunities, making them “dream schools” for students around the world. Use these rankings as a jumping-off point for you to create your own personalized rankings using our college match tool.
Each of these rankings is based on an analysis of data about the school’s selectivity, financial health, graduation rates, student success, and more. We’ve outlined our full methodology here.
| Rank | Institution | Undergraduates | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington and Lee University | 1886 | 13.97 | 1,450 – 1,530 | 23055 | 76516 |
#1
Washington and Lee University
|
| 2 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | 17885 | 16.81 | 1,420 – 1,540 | 18427 | 72359 |
#2
University of Virginia-Main Campus
|
| 3 | University of Richmond | 3055 | 22.2 | 1,440 – 1,540 | 30037 | 67927 |
#3
University of Richmond
|
| 4 | William & Mary | 7063 | 34.07 | 1,410 – 1,530 | 19686 | 62959 |
#4
William & Mary
|
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 31035 | 54.78 | 1,290 – 1,450 | 24912 | 67377 |
#5
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
|
| 6 | Patrick Henry College | 425 | 77.44 | 1,260 – 1,440 | 25869 | 63721 |
#6
Patrick Henry College
|
| 7 | James Madison University | 20973 | 71.52 | 1,180 – 1,340 | 18856 | 57438 |
#7
James Madison University
|
| 8 | Virginia Military Institute | 1527 | 71.25 | 1,110 – 1,330 | 18825 | 63545 |
#8
Virginia Military Institute
|
| 9 | Hampden-Sydney College | 946 | 40.92 | 1,080 – 1,280 | 29717 | 55846 |
Hampden-Sydney College
|
| 10 | Randolph-Macon College | 1643 | 86.61 | 990 – 1,230 | 28912 | 48067 |
Randolph-Macon College
|
| 11 | Christopher Newport University | 4369 | 86.04 | 1,080 – 1,300 | 23148 | 51931 |
Christopher Newport University
|
| 12 | George Mason University | 28334 | 87.48 | 1,170 – 1,370 | 18823 | 60536 |
George Mason University
|
| 13 | University of Mary Washington | 3660 | 79.78 | 1,190 – 1,380 | 21800 | 49411 |
University of Mary Washington
|
| 14 | Roanoke College | 1793 | 83.06 | 1,110 – 1,320 | 26044 | 45330 |
Roanoke College
|
| 15 | Chamberlain University-Virginia | 557 | 90 | -- | 33199 | 84533 |
#15
Chamberlain University-Virginia
|
| 16 | Shenandoah University | 2641 | 76.95 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 27181 | 48167 |
Shenandoah University
|
| 17 | Hollins University | 665 | 67.95 | 1,150 – 1,340 | 22605 | 29863 |
Hollins University
|
| 18 | Virginia Commonwealth University | 21210 | 92.62 | 1,020 – 1,280 | 26836 | 47161 |
Virginia Commonwealth University
|
| 19 | Longwood University | 3314 | 90.22 | 1,030 – 1,220 | 20847 | 46058 |
Longwood University
|
| 20 | Eastern Mennonite University | 791 | 100 | 1,140 – 1,540 | 25021 | 48158 |
Eastern Mennonite University
|
| 21 | Sweet Briar College | 444 | 75.54 | 1,100 – 1,310 | 21322 | 35533 |
Sweet Briar College
|
| 22 | Liberty University | 52961 | 98.98 | 1,060 – 1,290 | 29532 | 39707 |
Liberty University
|
| 23 | Bridgewater College | 1407 | 91.72 | 1,020 – 1,360 | 11316 | 45620 |
Bridgewater College
|
| 24 | University of Lynchburg | 1595 | 43.01 | 980 – 1,230 | 23845 | 44261 |
University of Lynchburg
|
| 25 | Randolph College | 694 | 93.71 | 1,050 – 1,230 | 21668 | 39122 |
#25
Randolph College
|
| 26 | Marymount University | 2503 | 93.16 | 990 – 1,200 | 31989 | 57801 |
Marymount University
|
| 27 | Regent University | 5049 | 38.12 | 1,000 – 1,250 | 20512 | 42066 |
Regent University
|
| 28 | Emory & Henry University | 1083 | 83.65 | 1,050 – 1,240 | 21446 | 39448 |
Emory & Henry University
|
| 29 | Radford University | 6161 | 89.53 | 960 – 1,180 | 16749 | 44830 |
Radford University
|
| 30 | Mary Baldwin University | 1124 | 87.1 | 950 – 1,140 | 17810 | 39075 |
Mary Baldwin University
|
| 31 | Virginia Wesleyan University | 1749 | 72.87 | 1,190 – 1,350 | 21267 | 39200 |
Virginia Wesleyan University
|
| 32 | Southern Virginia University | 936 | 96.42 | 970 – 1,220 | 24561 | 36988 |
Southern Virginia University
|
| 33 | Old Dominion University | 17746 | 90.36 | 1,120 – 1,290 | 16419 | 46732 |
Old Dominion University
|
| 34 | Hampton University | 3728 | 62.25 | 790 – 1,100 | 27428 | 42721 |
Hampton University
|
| 35 | University of Virginia's College at Wise | 2142 | 28.54 | 960 – 1,120 | 14378 | 39725 |
University of Virginia's College at Wise
|
| 36 | Averett University | 1244 | 56.59 | 910 – 1,200 | 23471 | 46273 |
#36
Averett University
|
| 37 | Norfolk State University | 5410 | 87.77 | 830 – 1,040 | 9124 | 33412 |
#37
Norfolk State University
|
| 38 | Virginia State University | 5124 | 88.63 | 840 – 1,070 | 17840 | 33630 |
Virginia State University
|
| 39 | Virginia Union University | 1205 | 97.99 | 850 – 890 | 11483 | 27977 |
Virginia Union University
|
| 40 | Ferrum College | 724 | 88.98 | 880 – 1,100 | 20082 | 36418 |
Ferrum College
|
| 41 | Bluefield University | 627 | 59.31 | 900 – 1,090 | 22216 | 41923 |
#41
Bluefield University
|
| 42 | ECPI University | 12164 | 74.52 | -- | 22407 | 41278 |
#42
ECPI University
|
| 43 | Virginia University of Lynchburg | 126 | 0 | -- | 19066 | 24718 |
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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