These Are Virginia's Most Liberal And Most Conservative Colleges

From progressive liberal arts campuses to faith-centered universities, Virginia colleges run the full political spectrum.

A new set of 2026 rankings from Niche highlights the most liberal and most conservative schools in the state, based on student surveys.

The University of Virginia in Charlottesville was ranked the most liberal, while Liberty University in Lynchburg topped the list of the most conservative.

Methodology

Niche’s rankings are based on self-reported student surveys of political leanings. For both lists, 80 percent of the weight comes from students reporting their personal political preferences, and 20 percent comes from students reporting the leanings of their campus community.

Most Liberal Colleges In Virginia

1. University of Virginia, Charlottesville — Overall Niche grade: A+
2. William & Mary, Williamsburg — Overall Niche grade: A+
3. Washington and Lee University, Lexington — Overall Niche grade: A+
4. Roanoke College, Salem — Overall Niche grade: C+
5. University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg — Overall Niche grade: B

Most Conservative Colleges In Virginia

1. Liberty University, Lynchburg — Overall Niche grade: B+
2. Regent University, Virginia Beach — Overall Niche grade: B+
3. Longwood University, Farmville — Overall Niche grade: B-
4. Randolph-Macon College, Ashland — Overall Niche grade: B-
5. Marymount University, Arlington — Overall Niche grade: B+

National Rankings

Niche also released its 2026 rankings of the most liberal and conservative colleges in America.

These are the top five most liberal colleges in the U.S.:

1. American University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. University of Vermont (Burlington, VT) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
3. SUNY Purchase College (Purchase, NY) — Overall Niche Grade: C
4. George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: A
5. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH) — Overall Niche Grade: B+

These are the five most conservative colleges in the U.S.:

1. Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. Grove City College (Grove City, PA) — Overall Niche Grade: B-
3. Brigham Young University–Idaho (Rexburg, ID) — Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, CO) — Overall Niche Grade: B
5. Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) — Overall Niche Grade: B

See the full rankings at Niche.

READ MORE:

• Here Are The Best Colleges In Virginia, According To Niche
• 17 VA Schools Named To Princeton Review's Best Colleges List
• These VA Colleges Earned Top Scores On New National Ranking